The girl who overcame trials and the boy who was just overcome
by mrs.sunkissed13
Summary: The unknown Princess of Fiore was tired of not being able to cross her locked door, so when escape presented it's self she took it. She wanted a life of adventure so she stole a man and ran away. A/N I do not own fairy tail. I own practically nothing, but... I love it so much! Nalu and other pairings. AU
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

-Streets of Magnolia-

It was a hot summer night in the city of Magnolia; the moonlight was peeking through the leaves of the sakura trees, casting ominous shadows against the sidewalk and water ways. The alleys of the city were teaming with hushed conversations, and secret 'less than legal' deeds. Men with large body scars who reeked of booze were in the alley next to the tavern. In the dark corners of the alley, blusterous men were accompanied by female companions who adorned and draped themselves over the men. While the women were giggling and stroking their faces, one of the women noticed a small, slender hooded figure walking down the street that had stopped in front of the alley. The rather professional-looking character gave a sly smile and a wink as the woman beckoned the stranger towards the group, obviously wanting the stranger to join in the festivities. The figure shuddered to itself, while waving a hand to pass off their advances, and forced the conversation (and the back-alley prostitutes) to be blocked from its mind.

The genderless figure tightened the hood around its face and continued to hurriedly walk down the street, without trying to draw too much attention. The cloaked stranger peered past the trees, making sure that it was headed in the right direction. It slowly pulled a piece of paper out from under the cloak and opened it up to the crack in the hood. After studying it for a time, the paper was folded back up and put away. The figure took one last careful look around and then continued walking down the seedy walkways of Magnolia.

* * *

-Inside the tavern-

It was a slow night in the tavern, especially for a Friday. The tavern was called Phantom Lord, and this particular tavern mostly catered to dock merchants and sailors; it always smelled of rotten fish, stale booze, and soggy boots. Magnolia was mostly an import and fishing town in the small country of Fiore, surrounded by water in three directions. Therefore, a lot of the town's wealth and business depended on the sailors and merchants. Consequently, the city looked the other way in a lot of their underhanded dealings. They wanted to keep the black-market money flowing through the town, so they took it upon themselves to keep the sailors and merchants happy. The merchants were mostly guilty of bribery and money laundering; this happened in most cities, but the crime that they did made the sailors look like angels. Sailors in the city had created a kind of mafia, where the citizens of Magnolia had to pay protection money. Sailors of the town would try to convince you that it was for your own protection, but really it was so that the sailors wouldn't come to your house in the middle of the night—and beat the stuffing out of you in the process. City officials weren't any better, they were all getting their cut of hush money, and mostly were just there to be the puppets of the so-called "sailor mafia." Corruption went all the way up to the Monarchy that ruled this country, and everyone involved in the corruption ladder literally got away with murder.

Phantom Lord had a lot of seedy dealings and people you wouldn't want to get mixed up with. This was exactly the kind of place you needed to be if you were looking for information and illegal work, which was why there was a certain man hanging around there that night. There was a table at the back corner of the bar next to a window that was empty, save for one person. He wasn't there to relax and pass information like the rest of them, he was there hoping to score any information that he could use or sell. The man stared at the pint he was nursing and sighed heavily. The information that had been circulating in the tavern was old hat. He wasn't going to get work here tonight, and worst of all, his food money was all gone! He heard a loud audible growl as he clutched his hand on his stomach. He stared at his pint longingly, wishing that he knew a spell to magically fill it back up. He had spent the last of his jewel on the pint, banking that the information he would hear tonight would pay off and that he could get back to work. The man sat up and reached into his pocket to get his purse out, and flipped it upside down over his palm. The only thing that fell out of it was a few fish bones and some crumbs. Looking at the contents of his purse made him want to wallow in despair over where he was going to find his next meal. Suddenly, a shadow passed by his window that caught his eye.

" _What was that?"_ He thought to himself.

He stood up from his chair and started to walk to the door, while grabbing his cap from his pocket and placing it firmly on his head. He didn't much care for caps, but in the city it was better to have something that could hide any distinguishing features. For him, that would be his hair. It was pink. He never knew his parents, so he didn't know where he got his hair from genetically. However, it _was_ a part of him, and he really didn't care what other people thought about it, so he never bothered to dye it. Anyway, in his line of work, it was better to not have anything that made yourself a target. So, whenever he went out, he would wear a hat, bandanna, or wrap his beloved scarf around his head. Giving one last nod to the bartender, he left the tavern and headed to the docks—the same way the shadow was headed.

" _Hopefully this night won't be a total waste,"_ He grinned to himself, as he shoved his hands into his back pockets.

* * *

-The docks-

The gender-less figure made it to the docks of Magnolia and lingered as if it was waiting for someone. However, the docks were completely absent of people. It looked around and tucked itself underneath one of the staircases outside the building labeled: "Magic Maggie's Discount Wares," which was located on the border the dock. The figure waited, but it didn't take long for it to hear footsteps approaching. As the footsteps grew closer, the figure stiffened against the staircase as a man rounded the corner of the street. The cloaked person watched him closely, and narrowed their eyes. Suddenly, the man stopped and pulled his scarf down from his face and sniffed at the warm night air, as if he were tracking a scent. He then removed the scarf from his neck and tied it securely around his waist. After pulling the ends of the scarf into a finished knot, he paused for a moment and then spun on his heels and looked the cloaked figure dead in the eyes…

"There you are," he smiled, "been lookin' for you."

The hooded person's eyes widened in fear, and instinct took over as it bolted to the other side of the docks.

"OY!" the man shouted. "It's slippery, you'll definitely…"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, as the cloaked figure landed fat on its face.

"Fall…" He winced.

He chuckled to himself as he headed over to the mysterious shadow. "I'm not trying to hurt you or anything, just wondering if you're more interesting than those fellows in the tavern. Reeeeal swell guys tonight, I think I saw one of them puke his guts out all over one of the barmaids, and then he tried to hit on her." He said, stretching out a hand to the crumpled figure on the ground. The figure turned around, and as it did, the hood fell from…her face. Trying not to look shocked, the man stared straight into her eyes and held out his hand to help her from off the ground—his face slowly turned from suppressed shock into a stern frown.

"What's a girl doing out here this late at night…and dressed like that!? Do you have some sort of death wish? Hanging out here will get women kidnapped or worse!" he said all this, much like a father scolding a child.

"I know…" she said timidly. The girl's face looked remorseful as she stared at the ground in a hunch.

The man waited patiently and looked her over. She was obviously beautiful, she had blonde hair and brown eyes; it was hard to get a real judge of her figure under that heavy cloak. " _No wonder he originally thought she was a man!"_ He smiled. She was rich; he could tell that just by looking at her skin and hands. The pale skin she had was due to the fact that she didn't have to work outside. Her hands were soft, telling him that she'd never learned any kind of skill, either. _"So why was some rich man's daughter out here in the middle of the night?"_ He thought to himself, scratching at his chin

"Hey." He said, moving his hand from his face and folding his arms sternly across his chest. She snapped out of whatever daze she had been in and looked at him in the eyes.

"What's your name, girl?" He glared. She hesitated for a moment, trying to avoid eye contact. Managing to finally find her voice, she croaked out:

"L…Lucy." the man stared at her, waiting for her to finish. After waiting for more than the appropriate amount of time, it became clear to him that she had no intention of giving him her last name. His eyes narrowed.

"Lucy…. What?" he demanded. She flinched at his tone and looked away.

"Lucy… Fullbuster." she squeaked. The man stared at her and pursed his lips, taking a moment to look her up and down.

"You're lying." he replied. Lucy gasped and looked back in shock.

"Hu…how did you…" she stammered.

"Not that it's any of my business…" he said, relaxing his shoulders and sighing. "But if you're going to lie about your identity, you might want to come up with a better name than that." She stared at him with bewilderment.

"Don't you care who I am?"

"Not particularly," he shrugged. "I just got bored and decided to follow my curiosity and wound up following you here." He looked at her with a concerned face. "However, now that I am here, would you mind telling me what you're doing? Because from the looks of it, it seems like you're up to no good."

Lucy remained silent for a moment, searching for the words to say. The man patiently waited for her to sort out her thoughts. At the moment she opened her mouth to speak, they both heard men running out towards the docks. Fear flashed in her eyes, as she looked to the man in front of her with a pleading look. The man looked back at her, more confused than anything.

"If you help me get out of here, and get me on a boat, I'll make it worth your while. I don't even care where the boat, ship, or even raft is going!" she begged, tears welling up in her eyes. The man looked her over and solemnly answered:

"Look, miss, doing that would make me look like a kidnapper. You're obviously the daughter of a noble, and it looks like your family has got some serious issues, especially for someone who's never had a hard day in her life to suddenly want to run away like that. I really can't afford trouble like that. I feel sorry for you and all, but it's not like they're going to hurt or kill you because you have status." Lucy's expression turned desperate.

"Best of luck to you!" He said, turning his back to her as he started to walk away, waiving her off.

"I can pay you!" She shouted after him. This was her last resort, if this didn't work, she was doomed.

The man stopped dead in his tracks and started to think about the situation that lay before him. In no way could getting involved with this girl be anything but trouble. The choice was obvious: he had to leave her there. He was about to turn her down, when the loud roar from his stomach permeated the night air. He grabbed at his stomach, in pain, and looked back at Lucy. _'I'm going to regret this, aren't I?'_ He thought to himself, as he started to walk back to the girl, cursing his own actions with every step. He stopped directly in front of her lowered his head, so that their eyes were level.

"I'll take the money in advance, please." He said, stretching out his hand.

"Do you think I was born yesterday?" She frowned. "I'll give you the money as soon as you hide me, otherwise I know you'll just take the money and run off with it."

The man's brow furrowed in frustration, as his index finger and his thumb pinched the bridge of his nose. The noise of the men was almost upon them; he had to decide quickly. He looked at the situation he was in: here he was with a noble on the docks who'd gone missing; he'd probably already be imprisoned for kidnapping, regardless of what he told the soldiers. _"Crap!" H_ e thought, this was definitely a bad situation. He grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her towards him.

"Whaaa!" She exclaimed, as he scooped her slender body up into his arms and started running towards the ships at the dock.

"Be very quiet and don't question anything I tell you, or I'll hand you straight over to the guards without any remorse. Do you understand?" He hissed, quietly.

She simply nodded in her response, as he quietly (and stealthily) hopped aboard a small ship with the name "Happy" scribbled across the hull, with what appeared to be blue paint. " _What an odd name for a ship."_ She thought, as he crept onto the deck and pulled a key from his pocket. With the key, he opened the door to the captains' quarters. _"Was this his ship?"_ she thought to herself, careful not to make any noise while he carried her in his arms. She looked him up and down. He was dressed very modestly, with black pantaloons and brown leather boots that buckled up to his knees. He wasn't wearing a shirt at all, but a simple vest unbuttoned and revealed his chest. He wore a simple sailors' cap that hid pink locks that poked out from underneath it. And finally, the oddest piece of clothing was a white snakeskin-looking scarf that he had tied around his waist. However, what intrigued her most wasn't his clothing, but his eyes. They were black as onyx and seemed like they could hold a lifetime's worth of experience. _"He doesn't look_ _like a captain…but then again, I guess I wouldn't be the best judge for that."_

While she was inspecting him, she must have lost consciousness of what was going on. Because when she came to, the man was obviously more relaxed, and gave a heavy sigh as he leaned against the far wall of the captains' quarters. He set her down on her feet and walked passed her to the other side of the room, where a desk was located and then took a match box from one of the drawers.

"Looks like they gave up and left," he said in a hushed tone, peeking out the window. "But, just to be safe, we should hang out in here until the sun rises." He looked at her as he lit a match, and walked past her to light the oil lanterns hanging on the back wall of the room. While he was lighting the lanterns, she took a look around to inspect her surroundings. The room was very modest. It had a small simple desk, wardrobe, safe, and lastly, a cot tucked in the corner of the room. There was also a second door attached to the quarters that she assumed lead to a washroom.

"Well, now that I'm officially a kidnapper… " he smiled, leaning his back against the wall and crossing his arms with one foot keeping him balanced against the wall and one solidly on the ground. "Don't you think that it's only appropriate that I know the real name of my kidnap-ee?"

Lucy was startled out of her trance. Once she had composed herself, she slowly made her way over to the desk, and pulled out the chair so that it was facing the man. She sat herself down and addressed him. "First, I want to make our agreement binding."

"Binding? For what reason do you need a binding agreement?" He said, questioningly, tilting his head slightly to the side.

She pulled a piece of paper from her cloak and placed it on the desktop. "It's standard for celestial wizards to enter into a contract with those that they work with, to keep both parties safe and on the same page."

"Ah, so you're a celestial wizard, huh?" He said, with a toothy grin. "That's pretty rare."

Lucy merely brushed off the comment. "I had prepared this contract with someone that I was supposed to meet here tonight, however, it appears that he has betrayed me and notified the royal army." Lucy's face grew dark as the words came from her mouth. The young man's smiled faded from his face as he watched the girl unfold the contract in front of her. He slowly walked over to the desk and simply stood behind her, watching her movements closely.

"The contract will still work; I merely have to change the name at the top of the contract." She turned to face the man behind her and pulled a quill from her cloak. She stretched her hand out and grabbed his, placing the quill in his open palm. "Please sign at the top of the page." She stated.

The man looked down at the quill resting in his hand and then looked back up to the girl who had manipulated him into this situation.

"Now, wait a minute, girl. I'm not about to enter into a contract with someone I've never met, let alone whom I know is being hunted by the royal army! What are you trying to pull here!?" He shouted, angrily.

The girl glared back with her brown eyes, as she pulled the money pouch from her cloak and emptied the contents onto the desk. The man's eyes bulged out from his skull; there must have been at least 7 million jewel in that pouch! Where did she get that kind of money? She was a noble, but obviously her parents weren't dumb enough to just let their daughter walk around with that kind of jewel. The money there would be enough for a normal person to retire on _. "She must have stolen that from her parents."_ He thought. _"But why do I care where she got the money from…?"_

Lucy's face turned livid, "IF, and only IF, you want to get ANY money at all, you'll fill out the contract first, and then I will be more than happy to fill out my name at the bottom." She said sternly.

The kidnapper filched backwards from her sudden stern attitude change. _"What happened to the passive scaredy-cat that had begged me to save her, only moments ago?"_ The man looked at the girl and bit his lip. He needed the money, but this was the most obvious trap he'd ever been a part of. His stomach, ever the traitor, growled loudly as he contemplated his situation.

"It sounds like your body has made the decision for you." Lucy smiled mischievously.

The young sailor glared at her. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I? Well, if I'm going to get in a contract with the devil, might as well go all out." He gritted through his teeth and stepped to the side, and slid the paper to him.

"Print it clearly at the top of the page, and then sign at the bottom with your signature." Lucy directed.

The young man hesitated for a moment, looking at her while swallowing slowly. He lifted his hand and slowly printed his name at the top. "Natsu Dragneel."

"Natsu Dragneel, What an unusual name…"

"Yeah, well it was the one I was given, so sue me!" He grunted.

She glared back at him. "I never said I didn't like it… just sign at the bottom of the page."

He glared back, but signed the bottom of the page as instructed. "Well there, I just signed my life away, now will you please tell me who I'm involved with?"

She looked at him and then at the contract. She started to sign her name, and as she did, Natsu watched very closely. "It's Lucy. Lucy Heartfelia." The man's face turned pale and his stomach fell to his feet, cold sweat started dripping from his brow.

"I'm sorry." He stammered, while taking his pinky finger and twisting it around in his ear, then flicking some of the wax across the floor. "I must have heard you wrong; my ears must be going deaf, because I thought you said Heartfelia—which can't be right because that would you mean you're…"

"You didn't hear wrong." She interrupted, taking the now signed contract and rolling it up before placing it back inside her cloak.

"My name is Heartfelia. Lucy Heartfelia, Princess of Fiore, and while I'm so grateful to my kidnapper for not releasing me into the custody of the royal army, I must inform you that this is a binding contract. The breaking of which would have dire consequences to be enforced by the celestial bodies. And believe you me, they're much more terrifying than any government on earth."

She slowly turned to face the man, who had now been reduced to a crumpled figure leaning against the back wall of the cabin. He had done it now. That contract was binding evidence that he was a traitor. He was bound to this girl for as long as she wanted. If she revealed that contract in any country it would brand him as an enemy to the crown of Fiore. Silent tears streamed down Natsu's face as he managed to choke out the words,

"Pleasure doing business with you, Princess…"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello there to all of you! I'm really excited about this fan-fiction and would love any and all input that you have for me. I don't have an editor so some of the writing might be pretty raw. Let me know how I'm doing with the characters! But for now enjoy chapter two! I'm hoping to update once a week.

Chapter 2

-Aboard the ship 'Happy'-

Natsu sat hunched over the desk in the captains' quarters with his head in his hands, elbows grinding into the cedar finish. He lifted his head slightly to the side to look at the woman sleeping in the cot by the wall. She was sound asleep, softly snoring as the boat rocked gently against the dock. Expelling a heavy sigh, he slowly stood from his chair and walked to the door to allow her rest. Natsu took one more look at the princess to make sure she was still asleep and then crept out the door.

"Ah man, what am I gonna to do? I can't believe I got myself in this situation…. Natsu… you sure did it this time. One of these days, your curiosity is going to get you killed if you haven't sealed that deal already..." He continued grumbling in indistinguishable tones as he headed to the side of the ship and leaned over edge. He contemplated how he was going to deal with this while watching the waves roll off the side of the boat.

"Why can't you just leave people alone...?" he sighed to himself as he took off his cap releasing the pink locks from underneath allowing them to stand up in every which way. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he ran his fingers through his hair pushing his bangs back and out of his face. He took his cap and placed it into his back pocket.

"What am I going to do about this? What will the others think?" Suddenly Natsu got a sick feeling in his stomach. "Gaaaaah, the others! What am I going to tell them?" The pressure started to take its toll on Natsu's psyche. Upon hearing his master, a young blue cat stretched its legs and began to rise from his perch atop one of the many barrels on deck. After landing on the floor and performing a short limbering walk to gain his sea legs again, he bounced on over to greet Natsu.

Natsu looked down and smiled. "Thanks buddy. You're always there when I need you, but what do you think I should do Happy?" he asked as he picked up the blue cat and brought Happy to his shoulder to sit. "What do you think I should do Happy? This puts a huge dent in our plans. Besides, I can't get the rest of the guild mixed up in this. If word gets out, we'll all be in trouble…" He looked over to his cat that had rested his head by Natsu's ear, attempting to comfort his friend.

"It's alright, I have you under contract. I can't sell you out unless you betray, abandon, or leave me in a situation I might not be able to find you again." Lucy's voice came from behind them. A jolt was sent up Natsu's spine, shocking him to the point where he spun around and sent Happy flying from the position on his shoulder. With one arm to catch his feline companion and the other to grip the rail, Natsu stared with wide eyes at the princess before him.

"Uhh… sorry!" She stammered apologetically. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that."

Natsu merely closed his eyes and straightened up, cradling Happy in his arm. He let his companion go as his protests were getting more persistent. The cat gingerly landed on his feet and made a quick dash for the other side of the ship. Natsu watched Happy scamper away for a minute, then sauntered across the deck, up the small set of stairs leading to the helm and leaned gently against it. Lucy watched him and waited for a response from him but soon realized he wasn't in the mood for talking.

Lucy shrugged it off and made her way back to the captain's quarters only to find that the door had locked behind her. Lucy's stomach dropped. 'Oh great, now I'm stuck out here with him.' She peered up to the helm to see him, leaning against the rustic wheel with his eyes still closed. 'It wouldn't be so bad being locked out if his remorse wasn't so apparent.' She winced from the tension that was suffocating her. It was then that something caught her eye she hadn't noticed before. Maybe it was the morning sun just starting to peek over the horizon casting light on the ship, but his right arm was entirely bandaged to just under his shoulder. This is where she noticed what looked like a tribal tattoo, a brand. It was red like fire and looked like a small… bird?

' _I want to ask him about that but maybe he's sensitive about it.'_ Natsu looked down and smiled at Lucy. _'Probably best to leave it alone for now, I'll have plenty of time later to ask him about it'_ she thought _._

"Hey if you don't want to get noticed by the royal army you should stop spacing out and stay in the captain's quarters." He laughed while swinging the key around in a circle on his index finger. Lucy eyes narrowed.

"And just who might you be? Inviting strange girls into the captain's quarters? I thought that it was reserved for the captain and trusted associates only." She replied coldly.

"Well we really don't have a choice now do we?" He smiled while jumping down from the helm and landing square in front of her. Lucy's face filled with shock as she took a step back from the impact of his landing.

"Besides, captain says it's ok." He winked, dangling the key in front of her face. Finally Lucy understood.

"Ah, you're the captain of the 'Happy'." she said feeling the blood rush to her cheeks.

"What was your first clue?" He laughed stepping passed her and opening the door. Lucy glared at him. She did have her suspicions but she didn't want to assume anything and call him the captain when he really wasn't. Mostly though, she was confused, he didn't seem mad at her. Just moments before she overheard him talking about how much of a bother this whole situation was to him, his personality wasn't very consistent. One moment he acted like a real pirate, another moment he acted like a gentlemen. ' _Was he luring her into a false sense of security? What did he have planned?'_ Lucy thought as she looked him over cautiously searching for any clues from his actions.

"Best stay in the captains quarters exclusively while we're docked." He said closing the curtains tightly on the windows, causing the room to grow much darker. Natsu lit the oil lanterns again so that they could see each other in the small cabin. "Your little adventure would be over before it even began if you were spotted from the dock. There's a washroom past that door there, it's not up to par with the palace, but you know, it's cozy." He grinned. "You'll be able to freshen up and do your business either way, as long as you don't mind sharing with me."

Lucy shrugged. "Well I suppose beggars can't be choosers. Obviously while I'm staying here in the captain's quarters, I'll be sleeping here as well. So I suggest we make sleeping arrangements." She folded her arms across her chest looking at Natsu as though waiting for a response. The captain looked back at her confused with his head slightly tilted like he was trying to think really hard.

"I don't see the problem with sharing a bed." He stated flatly. Lucy's face went pale.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T SEE THE PROBLEM!?" She roared from across the room. Natsu flinched and waited for her to get her composure, but she continued.

"It's indecent for a man and a woman to share the same bed!" Lucy's anger was causing her to get a headache as she placed a hand on her head. "… I don't have the energy to explain this to you but at least acknowledge that you realize this much…" She looked up at Natsu hoping for confirmation that he understood. However, his face looked blank. Lucy groaned, _'Apparently he could also act like a child…'_

"I guess I can see that," he nodded "I'll make myself a futon on the other side of the room. Don't worry princess your chastity will remain safe on this ship if that's what you're worried about. I'm not the kind of guy to take advantage of a woman." He gave her his signature toothy grin and even though the comment made her feel embarrassed and was completely inappropriate, she felt better nonetheless.

"Besides, you're not really my type. If I were to go after a princess I'd pick one much more beautiful and more elegant than a run-away!"

Something inside Lucy's mind snapped.

"What… did… you… say?" She said through gritted teeth, slowly turning so that she looked Natsu directly in the eyes. She didn't wait for him to respond, Lucy was already behind him with a knife held to his throat. Natsu swallowed hard.

"Ah, so the princess can fight eh?" He said mischievously.

"I might be a princess, but I've been training with the head guard of the royal army since I was six and he taught me extremely well," She said though narrowed eyes. "If you ever say such unkind things to anyone, not just me but anyone, I'll bleed you dry and take your ship for my own, do you understand!?" Lucy knew she wasn't the most ladylike of princesses but when people made a point to remind her it made her furious. Natsu nodded as he pushed her knife away from his neck with his hand, and turned to face her.

"As much as I am a traitor to the crown of Fiore by your doing I might add dear princess, I do stand by my country. This means that I would give my life for the protection of its future. Princess," he said with those determined eyes. "I don't know much about you but, I do know a fair amount about this country. Your father, the king, is a wretched man. He punishes without trial and lets himself be a puppet for whoever is paying him the most money. I d…" His voice cut off and looked at Lucy. Her face was solemn and downcast. _'Crap,'_ he thought.

"Listen I didn't mean for it to sound that way…"

"No, its ok…. everything you said was true…"

Natsu scratched the back of his head and looked back at Lucy. "All I meant to say was that it took a lot of bravery for you to run-away from a situation like that. A lot of people would have just tried to lie to themselves into believing what they were doing was going to be better for the country somehow, ultimately leaving problems unsolved and citizens suffering. I'm proud to have a princess like you, who's willing to get into the streets and see how their subjects function and live." He said comfortingly.

Lucy's eyes were filled with surprise as she stared at the man grinning like a fool in front of her.

"Listen I have to leave for a while to go get supplies and notify the crew that we're heading out soon. So be a good princess and stay here and wait for me to get back. I promise you'll be safe. I'm leaving you in the care of my most capable companion." As he finished his sentence a cat emerged from underneath the blankets tossed in the cot. _'Wasn't he just outside?'_ Lucy thought to herself immensely confused as to how the cat got in there without the door opening. "This is Happy! He's my oldest and best friend in the world!" Lucy grinned and looked at Natsu.

"Don't worry I'll be here, that is if cat is as capable as you claim." She said addressing captain. Natsu nodded in approval.

"Oh, one more thing before I forget." He said walking over to the cot. "There's a hidden trunk under here. Well not so much hidden as covered up." He laughed. He removed the blankets dangling from the side of the cot and placed them neatly on top. Sure as his word a trunk appeared from under his cot. "I put it there when I need something hard to sleep on. But there are some clothes in here if you want to use them. They might be a bit big for you but anything would be better than that." He said gesturing to her cloak. Lucy looked down at herself. She had hardly noticed that she had still been wearing it.

"… I guess it hadn't occurred to me to bring a change of clothes."

Natsu chuckled as he made his way over to her and stretched out his hand. "If you'd be so kind your highness, I'll take that satchel of money from you now that I've earned it an all." Lucy hesitated, but slowly pulled the purse out from under her cloak and placed it in the open palm in front of her. She held on for a moment and looked the captain in the eyes.

"I can trust you… right?" She murmured.

"What was that?"

"…. never mind, just be careful and come back soon." She rebutted bitterly.

"Will do." he reassured. Natsu took out his own purse and placed a few coins in it before replacing it back in his pocket. He then took the purse containing the rest of the jewel over to the safe and took a key from his desk and opened it. He carefully placed the purse inside before locking it back up and tucking the key back into the secret compartment inside his desk.

"The money will be safe in here, if you ever need any let me know and I can grab it for you. I'll let you know though, that the only person allowed in this safe is me, and I have the only key. There's a secret compartment in my desk that only I know about." He said winking as he made his way over to the door. Lucy stared at his back he cracked it open silently waving goodbye.

"I'll be back soon!" The captain gave one last wave before putting on his sailors cap and stepping out the door making sure he heard the click of the lock before going on his way.

"What an odd man, I still don't know what to make of him." She stated looking at Happy. Did he like her? Did he hate her, shielding his true feelings under that toothy grin? Or did he simply endure her existence while pretending to be friendly? Lucy sat down on the cot and leaned against the wall, pulling her legs to her chest she continued to wonder. ' _Maybe he was just pretending to be nice because he thought it was in the best interest considering their contract._ ' The thought gave her a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. ' _Could that be it? Was he just putting on a farce all the while secretly despising her?_ ' Lucy tucked her head into her knees. _'Either way I guess it doesn't matter when push comes to shove. I got what I wanted, a way out of this city. That's all that mattered.'_ Happy looked over at Lucy and jumped onto the cot curling up beside her. The gesture was almost comforting. Lucy smiled and placed a hand on his back.

"I see your master was true to his word."

Natsu walked off his ship and on to the docks of Magnolia. He was careful to look around the area for any of the royal army, and his suspicions were confirmed. The royal army had swarmed the docks and as he peered down the street, it looked like they were harassing the entire city.

"Perfect…" he gritted under his teeth. 'What a great way to start the morning after a hectic night, and zero sleep to boot.' Natsu yawned and wiped the tears it caused from his eyes. _'Better make this trip a short one and get out of here as soon as possible before those cursed soldiers start searching the ships. Even the sailors wouldn't be able to deny the demands of the royal army.'_ He continued on to the unforgiving streets of Magnolia unaware of what the future would hold.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N. Thank you all for your wonderful support and comments, I am looking forward to more advice. Writing this fan fiction has been a very exciting experience so far and it continues to be very rewarding. I love you all!

Chapter 3

The city of Magnolia was divided up into three sections: the docks, the market, and the residential area. Though, not all citizens lived in the residential part of the city. Sailors mostly lived by the docks, where the bulk of taverns were conveniently located. Merchants ran the markets, which were mostly just outside the docks. In fact, most of the Magnolia consisted of this part of town. The residences were the furthest from the docks and most civilians lived here. This part of town was by far in the worst condition; it was also where Natsu was headed. He needed to make a quick stop to meet with someone before he could assemble his crew back together.

Natsu was walking down the side of the dirt road, a road of which sewage flowed freely down the middle. The smell of cat urine and rotting food erupted from the narrow spaces in between the houses. He passed a few children knee deep in rot, rummaging for a meal. They couldn't be more than eight years old, dressed in rags without any shoes on. _'I can't believe how much worse this town has gotten.'_ He thought to himself. Natsu sighed while taking out his coin purse. The children noticed and stared at the man on the side of the street. He took a couple coins out of his purse and rolled them in his hand, before slowly placing them on the ground. Natsu took great care to be slow and deliberate—knowing that if he approached them that they would merely run away, or be too scared to accept the jewel.

He then continued on his way as if nothing had happened. It took but a few seconds after he had left for the sound of the children claiming the coins to reach his ears. Natsu gritted his teeth and felt the sting of bile rise in his throat. He forced it back down as tears welled up in his eyes.

 _I'm going to fix this country if it's the last thing I do. Just wait, kids… it won't be like this forever._

Natsu continued down the street, the sun finally starting to make the air scorch. The heat of which only worsened the smell that he was trying to keep at bay. He lifted his head as he turned the corner and stopped to look at the building three houses down. It was a simple house, small, but in better repair than all of the other houses in the residential part of the city. It had an equally small doorway with single paned windows adorning the front of the house. There was nothing unusual about it to the average citizen—unless you knew where you were looking. In the corner of the window sat a drawing. It probably looked like a small bird to the people on the outside, but to people who knew, it was the sign of something great. It was at this house that people in trouble could always come and ask for help; the people on the inside would then take matters into their own hands.

Natsu smiled to himself as a rush of relief washed over his body. The sight of that symbol really made him feel at home and with friends. After the chaotic night, it felt good to be in a place where he felt in control. In contrast, last night he felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath him, which was very unsettling. It was as though he couldn't get his own house in order. The captain took a deep breath and exhaled; Natsu could feel his anxiety leaving. He clutched at the matching symbol on his shoulder and pressed forward to the house that was now in front of him.

Natsu knocked softly on the shabby door and waited for a response. He could hear movement on the inside and then footsteps which grew louder and louder. A husky male voice came from the other side:

"Who's there…?"

"It's Natsu, Macao! Just let me in, will ya? I need to talk to you."

The door unlocked and slowly cracked open.

"Fine, but close that door behind you, the Royal Army is everywhere today. They've been ransacking the homes of a lot of citizens, so the less reasons we give them from knocking down my door the better." He said, through a cigarette in his mouth.

Natsu closed and locked the door, then turned to look at the scene inside the house. It was much like he remembered. It was dusty with the smell of booze and had evidence of rowdy fights strewn about the place. In the front of the house was a small room for boots, coats, and hats. Past the entrance was what the architects intended for a living room. However, Macao had turned it into a small pub complete with a bar and kitchen. The atmosphere in here reminded him of an abandoned old bar. There was dust and dirt covering the floor so that you'd leave footprints every time you took a step. Smoke from cigarettes hung on the ceiling like a tacky decoration, but Natsu loved it anyway.

Macao hadn't changed that much—he looked more or less the same. His black hair had started to go grey, and instead of a cool goatee, he'd grown a moustache. He also seemed to pick up smoking from his friend.

 _Well I suppose all people deal with hard times their own way._ Natsu thought to himself.

Natsu couldn't help but smile. Being here reminded him of the old days when the guild was in full swing, its beautiful guild hall beside the ocean. Those days were long gone, however. Macao walked Natsu over to the bar and then stepped behind it to pour Natsu a glass of whisky. He slid it across the bar, Natsu catching it right before it flew off the end.

"Thanks, Macao." He smiled.

Macao nodded, and took a long draw from his cigarette and let the smoke spill out of his mouth like a satin sheet caught in a breeze—it found its home on the ceiling; more smoke was waiting to welcome it.

"What can I do ya for, captain?" Macao grunted from the other side of the bar leaning against the large mirror on the wall. In turn, Natsu pulled out a stool from the bar and sat himself down.

"I have a few questions for you before the usual, Macao."

"Hmmmm. Is that right? Well you do know what that means don't you, Natsu?"

The captain chuckled and pulled out his coin purse and placed a coin on the counter.

"Of course I do, I came prepared." He said, taking a sip from his whiskey.

Macao whistled in an impressed manner.

"Where'd you get cash like that, kid? Are you holding a princess for ransom?"

Natsu choked on the whiskey going down his throat, causing him to cough it back up all over the bars' counter.

"OF COURSE I'M NOT!" Natsu spat, glaring at the graying man behind the bar. Macao looked shocked at his reaction.

"Hey, man, calm down it was just a joke…" He stated very calmly trying to reassure Natsu. The captain closed his eyes and sighed.

"No, it's my fault. I freaked out for no reason…" Natsu coughed into his hand and looked back at Macao. "I have a question about the royal family."

Macao nodded and took another long draw on his cigarette, effectively using the last of it. He then put it out in an ash tray sitting on the bars' counter. Without looking at Natsu, Macao simply replied to him.

"Go on…"

Natsu inhaled and thought for a minute thinking of how to phrase his question.

"Who exactly is in the royal family? Like, the immediate family. I know who the King and queen are, but do they have any children?"

Macao shrugged, walking over to Natsu so that he was in front of him. He picked up the coin on the counter and placed it into his shirt pocket.

"Not that they've shared with the public. Word is that the Queen wasn't able to have children, this turned out to be true, as she left this world without bearing a child. If there isn't an heir, the reign will be sold off to the country with the highest bid. Essentially, the king is planning on selling off his rule."

Natsu glared at his drink. _'I can't believe that the king is planning on doing that… how low can this kingdom fall?!'_ Rage was boiling in Natsu's stomach, like a sickness that couldn't be cured. Natsu looked up as Macao was lighting another cigarette in his mouth. Natsu just shook his head.

"Seems like you've been hanging out with that friend of yours and picked up some nasty habits since the last time I saw you."

"Ahhh…" Macao scratched the back of his head, "Seems like these hard times have taken their toll on me." He said timidly. "But besides that, why are you asking about the royal family?"

Natsu smiled.

"You know the rules, Macao..."

He said as he stood up finishing the last of his whisky and placing the glass back down on the counter. Macao simply nodded.

"Don't take it as prying, captain; I'm just worried about you, is all. Something about the face you were wearing when you walked in here. Whenever I see that look, it always means trouble for us."

Macao gestured to the mark on Natsu's shoulder to emphasize his point.

Natsu threw his head back and laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose that's true, but I kinda like being in trouble all the time." He said with a mischievous look. "Well I suppose it's time for the usual, Macao. Let them know I'm pulling off shore first thing tomorrow."

Natsu slid his stool back into the bar and started towards the door. He stood for a moment and looked around the small bar. He really loved this place; it felt like a home away from home—where solace was found for those who needed help. Natsu looked at Macao. He knew it was a chore for him to keep this place going, but it was the only way for the people to get help from outside the government without getting spotted by the mafia.

Macao looked at Natsu who had broken out of his daze and headed to the door.

"Any reason for the rush captain?"

Natsu stopped and turned to smile at Macao.

"None whatsoever, just getting a little tired of dry land. It's time for some adventure. The seas have been calling me of late, and I want to get out of this city."

Macao knew better than to press the issue. He leaned over the bar resting his elbows on the countertop.

"Be sure to come through here again when you're back in Magnolia." He said, puffing more smoke into the ceiling.

Natsu nodded and walked through the door to the street outside, allowing the putrid smell to pierce through the air of the house. He gave one last wave to his friend before heading down the street.

By the time Natsu had finished with his errands night had begun to fall on Magnolia.

 _Going back to the ship will be awesome… I'm sure Lucy's furious with me for leaving her there all day….'_

Natsu's face fell as he slowed his pace.

 _She's probably going to skin me from nose to navel… I'm so not looking forward to going home…_

The worry and stress started to ball up in the pit of his stomach and started to burn. He was giving himself a stomach ache and he knew it. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

 _Sack up! You're the captain! Stop letting some spoiled rich girl get her way, besides you don't even know if she's going to be mad. She could be asleep or….something…else. YEAH!_

Natsu let his delusions run wild while he made his way onto the docks of Magnolia. He slowly made his way up the ramp of the 'Happy' and tried to make his footsteps as silent as possible on his way to his captain's quarters.

Natsu was just about to take out his key to his cabin when he stopped dead in his tracks. He felt something unusual, something that wasn't supposed to be there. Natsu lifted his head and gave a few sniffs to the air surrounding him. There wasn't a breeze so he couldn't get a firm scent on what it was. He slowly reached for a knife that he kept wrapped up in his scarf around his waist, and slowly pulled it out from its sheath. He could hear footsteps behind him getting closer.

 _These are too heavy to be a woman, and my crew has only just been notified that we'd be sailing off tomorrow morning. It is far too soon for them to be here Is the Royal Army looking for Lucy?Ahh… Lucy…_

Natsu thought about Lucy and what would happen to her if she was caught, but shook the thoughts from his head; now wasn't the time, the footsteps had stopped right behind him. Natsu spun on his heels and turned to face the invader. And as he spun, he swung his knife in front of him, meeting the other man's steel. Sparks flew and lit up the man's face, which Natsu could see quite clearly.

"Gray!?" Natsu shouted, enraged. "You almost gave me a heart attack! You ice freak!" Natsu angrily sheathed his knife into his scarf and stood up straight to look at him.

Gray sheathed his sword into the belt around his waist, wearing a face of irritation as he was scolded by the captain. He was a good looking man by any standard; he had black, shaggy hair, black eyes, and a scar over his left eye. He kept himself well trimmed and clean, and wore a simple white linen long sleeve shirt that was open in the chest. The shirt had strings to close it, but he never did; it was part of his 'charm,' or so he said. He wore black pantaloons and boots that stopped mid calf. But his most prized possession was his saber; it was given to him by his dad and made entirely of re-enforced silver. There wasn't a sword that compared to it in the world, and he carried it at all times.

"What are you talking about, captain? You're the one who sent out the immediate summons! I was close by so I made it here before everyone else, and I've been waiting here patiently for the last three hours!" Gray pressed his index finger and his thumb together and flicked Natsu hard in the center of the forehead. "I thought you'd be grateful! I didn't expect you to attack me out of nowhere!"

Natsu rubbed his forehead and glared at Gray. "Some first mate you are…" he muttered, under his breath. Gray raised an eyebrow at his captain and shook his head.

"So what's the big emergency to have us all summoned so quickly?" He asked, folding his arms.

Natsu straightened up and looked at Grey. He nodded his head towards the docks shore, inviting him to look. Grey followed Natsu's eyes and observed the Royal Army patrolling along the streets.

Grey nodded.

"I was wondering about them on my way here, the entire city of Magnolia is swarming with them. Do you know what's going on?"

"Well, the official reason I heard today, while running errands through the town, was that there was a servant who ran away from the royal palace and had been spotted here in Magnolia. Which I think is a bunch of dragon crap." Natsu said, still watching the Royal army. "No royal family cares that much about a servant to release their entire army and occupy a city. I figured the faster we can get out of Magnolia and back to the guild the better." Gray closed his eyes and contemplated what had just been said.

"I agree with you, we can't do business while under the thumb of the Royal Family, that's for sure…" Gray said, through gritted teeth. "I assume we'll be making the same stops out of here that we did coming in?"

"Of course we will. We'd be half a crew if we didn't. They're just going to have to hurry up because I'm sure that the entire country will be searched at this rate."

"I'll start making the arrangements immediately." Gray said, as he headed below deck. "I'll see you in the morning!"

"Night, Gray!"

Natsu waved, watching Grey until the last of his hair disappeared below deck. Natsu let out a sigh of relief and fell against his cabin door.

 _It doesn't seem he knows about Lucy. That was close. I'm not ready to tell the crew just yet, that we're harboring the princess on our ship._

The captain stood back up and faced the door, took out his key and unlocked it. He placed one hand on the door and the other on the door knob and slowly pushed it open

* * *

Lucy was sleeping silently on the captain's cot, letting the waves rock her while she slept. All of a sudden, a loud crash woke her with a start. She bolted up out of bed, causing the cat that was using her as a heating pad to hiss and scamper across to the other side of the room. Lucy clutched her hand to her chest trying to slow her heart rate down, when the captain's voice came from the other side of the door.

 _Is he fighting someone? If so, who else is on board the ship?_

Another voice was coming from outside the cabin that didn't belong to the captain. Lucy stealthily made her way to the cabin door to try to listen to what they were saying. She pressed her ears against the door frame crack and tried to listen as best as she could. All she could make out were a few words here and there, something about the Royal Family.

Lucy's stomach fell.

 _Were they talking about me?_

Suddenly she began to panic.

 _Is he talking to someone from the Royal Army? What if he sells me out? Does he not care if he's punished by the Celestial bodies?_

Lucy's mind continued to race, coming up with more and more ludicrous situations. In the middle of her frantic panic, she heard the captain clearly from the other side of the door.

"Night, Gray!"

Suddenly, Lucy's panic went away and was replaced by visions and feelings of her past.

 _It couldn't be… could it?_

Lucy raised her hand and touched her fingers to her lips remembering past events.

"Gray… Fullbuster?"

Suddenly, Lucy's heart began to beat fast as she felt blood rush to her cheeks.

 _Oh, no, no, nonononono. It can't' be! This is terrible!' Gray can't be here! That's impossible! I thought…_

Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of the doorknob turning. Lucy frantically rose to her feet and slapped her cheeks, trying to get a hold of herself before the captain walked in the room. She backed away from the door so it could swing open without hitting her square in the face.

The captain opened the door slowly and was shocked to see Lucy standing in the door way staring at him.

' _Oh, great, her face is red… she's definately mad at me.'_

Natsu sighed as he squeezed through the opening in the door, trying to keep it from opening as much as possible. He then closed it, waiting to hear the click of the lock so that he knew that they were safe. He walked past Lucy, who seemed to be frozen where she stood, and waited for her to unleash her hell upon him. In the corner of the room he noticed she had made him a futon. He smiled to himself, thinking of a princess doing housework was almost comical to him. He turned around to face Lucy, whose face was still red.

 _Why isn't she screaming at me?_

Natsu looked at her confused.

"Hey, Lucy, you ok?" He said, waving a hand in front of her face and walking closer. She looked at Natsu but didn't say a word. Tears started to well up in her eyes and she fell to her knees.

"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, in a panic as he ran to catch her. He put an arm around her shoulder and helped her back up, walking her over to the cot. He sat her down and with his arm still around her shoulder he sat down next to her. Lucy's eyes showed no emotion other than shock while silent tears fell down her face. She looked at Natsu who had serious concern written across his face. Finally, she managed to summon the words to ask Natsu.

"The man you were speaking to… who was he?"

Natsu was shocked by her words but glad to see her out of her stupor none the less.

"Oh, him, that was my first mate, Gray Fullbuster." He stated.

Her face showed shock as the words reached her ears. Her face contorted as more tears flew from her eyes. She placed her head in her hands as Natsu softly stroked her back waiting for her tears to stop. Remembering their first encounter and the name she had given him… It was Fullbuster. He remained patient and her sobbing slowly came to a stop. When the moment felt right, he asked Lucy,

"Do you know Gray? It was his name that you gave me when you first met me. Was that coincidence?"

His voice was gentle, and full of understanding. Natsu wasn't sure what to do; he was never very good in these kinds of situations. When Elfman's bird died, he told him to get a new one. Natsu groaned internally.

 _Great, what am I supposed to do, should I stop stroking her back? Is it to intimate for people who just met? Is it coming off as creepy?_

Natsu stared at Lucy's face, buried in her hands. It was weird for him to see her like that; she came off as strong and fiery, but what he saw before him now was a sniveling pile of… sad.

Lucy simply nodded in response to Natsu's question.

"Yeah, I du du do kn kn know hi hi him." She managed to stutter out. She sat up, wiped the tears from her eyes, and took deep breaths to steady her speech. She then looked straight at Natsu and said,

"I guess I'll tell you our story…"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Sorry this one took so long! I had family visiting and i'm going to visit them this next weekend so don't expect a new chapter for a couple of weeks!

SORRY!

Chapter 4

Lucy seated herself so that she was facing Natsu on the cot in his cabin. She felt a mixture of emotions after hearing Gray's voice and name. She wasn't sure she could tell the captian her whole story… it would make her so vulnerable. But it had to be done, Gray would know right away who she was and her cover would be blown. Lucy grimaced at the thought, while she looked at Natsu. The captain was looking at her comfortingly waiting for her to talk, and after she had caught her breath, she started…

"About fourteen years ago, it all began…"

* * *

Lucy was playing outside the sparkling white palace in the beautiful ornate gardens. It was springtime in Fiore, so all the sakura trees were in bloom in the city, coating the ground in pink silk-like petals. Lucy loved this time of year; it meant that her father would let her out of the palace for one hour a day… supervised of course. So the hour was precious to the young girl, who was used to being locked away in her tower. Oh, how she hated that tower. Her father, the King, locked her in there all day and all night with no company to speak of. It was only because of her mother (and only in the spring and summer) that she was allowed to be let out at all. Six year old Lucy sashayed across the flower garden, grinning from ear to ear while the Royal Guards kept a close watch; she was waiting for the right second to ditch them. There was a spot past the hedges near the edge of the garden, Lucy was careful as she tiptoed over to those hedges; all she wanted was a glimpse at what was on the other side before she was locked back in the tower all by herself. She was almost there when she heard a rustle of leaves on the other side of the hedges.

 _What was that?_

Lucy squatted down underneath the shade of the hedges to get a better glimpse. At first, all she saw was the iron fence that separated the palace courtyard from the rest of the estate. Suddenly, what she saw was a pair of black boots that looked exactly like that ones the royal guard wear, but they were so… small. Lucy looked up, following the boots to what they were attached to. What came into her view was a pair of trousers, a white shirt, and a blue and silver overcoat that was left open in the front. This overcoat revealed a white linen shirt that tied at the top and was also left open. There was a saber sheathed in the belt around his waist. But that's not what she was staring at; what caught her attention was his face. It was beautiful, he looked like a dream. He had black eyes and blacker hair that was disheveled and caressed his ears and forehead. She felt blood rush to her cheeks as he finally noticed her, and looked down.

"Who are you? What are you doing down there?" He said, with a frown.

Lucy's eyes widened as she jumped up and brushed off her dress. She stared at the ground while she pulled leaves and branches out of her hair. The stranger continued to stare at her with a puzzled look. He continued to look her over searching for any idea of who she was. He finally noticed a broach on her dress that was decorated with the royal crest. The boy's face grew pale as he fell to one knee.

"Princess!" he exclaimed

Lucy jumped at his sudden outburst as she observed the boy, who was now kneeling before her, partially hidden by hedges. She looked up for a moment to check if the guards had noticed what had happened; they remained at their posts as if nothing was wrong. Lucy gave a sigh of relief as she turned her attention back to the young boy in front of her.

"Hey, it's ok… please stand up… you're making me embarrassed." She blushed at the young boy.

He looked up slowly, and as she smiled at him, he slowly stood in front of her. He brushed off the dirt on his pants and took a step back. He stared at her with a most bemused expression, and as he felt reality was settling in on him, fear started creeping into his gut.

"Princess…" he stuttered as he looked around nervously "What are you doing here?"

Lucy looked back at him nervously. "I… I… I wanted to look outside the garden… I've never been outside of it before… I've hardly been outside my tower… I know I'm not supposed to, but… I couldn't help it." She said, sheepishly, while she nervously rubbed her hands together staring at the ground.

The boy stared at her from above as he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. He looked around for the guards who were supposed to be watching her; apparently they weren't especially worried about losing her, because they all seemed preoccupied and not paying attention. He grimaced to himself as he watched the princess hold back tears.

"Well, I suppose we should get you back to the palace… your father will be worried." He told her.

She looked up in a stupor, with alarm stricken across her face.

"PLEASE, DON'T! I don't want to go back there… it's not safe for me!" She was trembling from head to toe, reaching out to him but unable to move her feet. The boy's face filled with concern as he took her hands into his own.

"It's alright, I won't make you go back, but let's go somewhere else where we can't be seen by the guards." He grabbed her hands and started to pull her away from the hedges across the fence. Lucy's trembling instantly stopped as she felt herself being pulled forward. She watched as the handsome boy took her through a small gate in the iron fence. Her vision turned blurry; all she could see was the back of his shoulders guiding her through garden after garden passing buildings and ponds. Finally, they came to a stone wall hidden behind willow trees and bushes. He looked around; there was nobody to be found for a mile. The boy sighed as he leaned against the wall and looked at Lucy, who was on her knees trying to catch her breath. He ran his fingers through his hair nervously before opening his mouth.

"So, princess, tell me why I just ran away from your security and took you here. And more importantly, why isn't it safe for you in your tower?" He said, reaching down to Lucy to help her up off the ground.

Lucy looked up, and clasped his hand in hers as he lifted her off the ground; she wasn't sure what to say. She never talked to anybody; the only people she was allowed to talk to were people specifically picked out by her father, which included her teachers, maids, and her guards. So when this boy spoke to her, it made her feel… awkward and shy.

"Uh…well, the thing is… I just said that to get away—I don't want to go back… I'm sorry I lied to you…"She said, unsurely.

The boy just stared at her blankly, comprehending what was just said and what he had just done. He slid down the stone wall and stared at his boots.

"I'm dead, that's it. I'm not making it to my twelfth birthday..." He placed his head in his hands.

Lucy looked at him, the boy who saved her from her tower. She felt the guilt build in her stomach.

"I'm sorry… I'll go back… but please, before I go. Promise me you'll come visit me in the gardens once in a while?" She pleaded to him

He looked up at her.

 _Why should I trust this girl?_ _She lied to me, and she's the princess, I could be killed just for meeting with her._

However, something about the way she was pleading with him, the way she was so helpless, her unyielding need to escape her tower… He felt like she was just like him in that way.

"Alright," he said, "I suppose I'll take you back, and I promise that you won't be alone anymore. I'll come see you when I can."He grumbled as he stood up. "My name's Gray, Gray Fullbuster." He lifted his hand slowly toward her.

"My name is Lucy, Lucy Heartfelia." She smiled, meeting his hand and shaking it.

Gray smiled back at her, and held her hand as he started to walk her back to the tower that she dreaded. The closer they got, the tighter she held on to his hand. Gray looked down at their hands and smiled.

"It's okay, princess, I promise I won't let go—so calm down, okay?" He whispered to her gently.

She smiled unsurely back at him as she clung to his arm.

"There's something I've wanted to ask you… if it's okay..."

Gray looked at her, puzzled.

"Sure, I guess. What is it?"

Lucy pursed her lips as she worked up the courage to speak to him. They were almost to the courtyard, where the guards were running around frantically looking for Lucy. Lucy and Gray only had a few minutes before they were spotted; she needed to speak now.

"Wh… Why do you have the same uniform on as the Royal Guards?"

Gray stopped and looked at her, unsure of what to say. He frowned and kept walking towards the garden.

"When I see you again, I'll tell you." He said quietly.

Lucy didn't get to respond because the guards spotted them. Gray fell to one knee and held out their clasped hands towards the adults, while placing her hand in the guards' hands. They seemed to be talking to him about something, but Lucy couldn't hear. She was being picked up and hauled back to her tower; all she was able to hear was the sound of the doors slowly closing behind them as they took her back up. She watched through the crack as the young boy looked back at her, his frame slowly disappearing as the doors slammed loudly behind her. Lucy's mind began to panic.

 _What will they do to him? Will he be okay?_

She couldn't help but feel guilty.

 _Whatever they do to him, it's my fault…I hope I'll see him again…_

She looked at the doors that locked him out of her life; she hated doors. They kept her in, and everyone else out. One day, she wanted to live somewhere without doors that locked. Every time they closed, she felt like someone she loved was locked out of her life forever.

* * *

"…So that's how I met Gray… He was the first person to ever take me away from my tower." Lucy muttered thoughtfully.

Natsu sat, still listening to her story, letting her take her time even thought he hadn't slept for almost twenty four hours. He rubbed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, his hand still on Lucy's back. Lucy looked back at Natsu, obviously trying not to fall asleep. Suddenly, she felt terrible; she had kept him up for a full day, and here he was trying to keep himself awake to hear her story.

"Listen, Natsu… we can finish this in the morning if you want. I know you've been up for a long time, you can…" Natsu cut her off.

"Lucy, this is an important story and it's important to you, so I'll stay awake until you're finished." He sat up, and looked her in the eye.

"Go ahead and finish your story." Natsu flashed a smile at her while Lucy adjusted her position on the cot to make herself more comfortable.

"Alright, I'm almost done." she continued…

 _A few days after their first encounter_

Lucy was sitting in her room by her window that overlooked the gardens, watching the guards walk back and forth in between statues and hedges. The guards hadn't said anything to her father about her disappearance; they didn't want to portray incompetence to the king, it made them look better to just say nothing and act as though nothing had happened. The princess still got to go out for an hour a day, and the guards didn't get fired… or killed. However, Gray hadn't lived up to his promise; he didn't come to visit her. Lucy sighed.

 _I can't blame him. Just coming to the garden was risky, and I'm not sure what happened to him after his run in with the guards._

She started drawing in the dust that was settled on the windowsill, when a firm loud knock came from her bedroom door.

"Princess, this is the Royal Guard, please allow us to enter!"

"Permission granted." She squeaked.

Lucy's doors boomed open, with guards lining the hallway outside, allowing the head of the Royal Guard and Royal Army through while they stopped at the entrance of her room. Lucy's face beamed at the sight of a familiar face.

"SILVER!" She shouted, as she ran towards him. He smiled as he crouched down, reaching his arms out to greet her.

"Lucy, come here!" He beamed.

Lucy jumped into his arms while Silver laughed and spun her around.

"I brought you a present today." He said, rubbing his nose against hers.

"Really? I just love your presents, Silver! What did you get me this time?"

Silver chuckled as he set Lucy down on her feet.

"Alright, little missy, here it is." He said, gesturing down the hallway.

However, there wasn't anything there. She quizzically looked back at Silver. He just smiled and continued to gesture down the hallway. Eventually, she could see a small figure walking closer to her room. The figure looked like a member of the Royal Guard.

 _Is this the person bringing me Silver's present?_

Lucy waited in anticipation as the person walked closer.

 _Wait, this person looks familiar…_

As the figure grew closer, it was apparent that it was Gray. Lucy gasped and looked at Silver again; Silver just kept smiling. Gray stood at the entrance of her room and knelt before her on one knee.

"Princess, I'm here to serve you. Until the day I die, or the day you release me from my charge."

Lucy stood frozen in one place, unsure of what to do. All she could manage was to stare at Gray, who was kneeling before her, staring at the ground. She looked back at Silver, who was watching Gray.

Lucy, this is my son, Gray. Your mother and I have decided to make him your personal guard; doing this will allow you more freedom, as long as you are with him. You'll be able to go places around the palace grounds and hunting grounds. He will grow up with you and he will protect you with his life. However, you still can't go anywhere the citizens are allowed." Silver said apologetically.

Lucy looked at Gray with wonder in her eyes. He was her key to the outside of this tower; he was the one who would save her and take her to the outside world. She watched as Gray shifted his legs as to stand before her. Gray reached his hand out to her; she placed her hand in his as he bent down to kiss her hand gently.

"Princess, I'm here to protect you, and I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you." Gray smiled.

Lucy smiled back at him as she tightened her grip on his hand. She stepped closer to Gray and embraced him tightly. Gray lifted his arms in shock and looked at his father for any sign of what to do next. Silver simply smiled and nodded at his son. Gray sighed and closed his eyes, lowering his hands silently, hoping that the king never found out about this.

Lucy was excited that she finally had a real friend.

"Thank you, Gray." She whispered to him.

"Mmmm? Thank you for what?" He replied.

Lucy buried her face into his jacket and squeezed him tight. Gray could feel the blood rush to his cheeks as he watched his father chuckle at the two of them together. Gray glared at Silver, and was about to say something, when he was cut off by Lucy.

"Thank you for keeping your promise." She smiled, as a tear silently fell down her cheeks.

"Well, that's how we got to know each other; he was my personal guard, and we spent every day together for ten years…" Lucy said, coming to the end of her story.

Natsu continued to listen and stroke her back comfortingly, while stifling a yawn.

"I fell in love the moment I saw him, and as you could imagine, my father wasn't too happy about that." She gritted through her teeth, bitterly.

"He was my first love…" She blushed, "My first… kiss…" She said tenderly as her hand rose to her lips.

Natsu stopped and looked at Lucy.

 _Her first kiss? Geeze Gray could you make this anymore difficult for this girl?_

Lucy's face was red and tears flowed down her cheeks and onto the shirt she had changed into. Natsu did a double take. She had changed clothes while he was out and he hadn't even noticed, in all of the the chaos, that she had changed out of the cloak she was wearing when he met her. She was now wearing… his clothes. She had changed into a white shirt and some light tan pants that she had tied around her waist, and black boots that went up to her knees. The sight of her wearing his clothes was what made him blush slightly. Natsu shook his head.

 _Pull it together, man! Now is not the time! We could be in a lot of trouble if her cover is blown by Gray, before we can even get out to sea._

"So, one day, my father…" Tears welled up and started to pour from Lucy's eyes. "He saw us together… he took Gray from me and… and…" She burst into a full hysterical sobs.

 _The day of Lucy's 17_ _th_ _birthday._

Lucy was frantically running down the corridors of her tower heading out to the gardens. Tears were flying past her as she burst through the French-style doors that lead outside. She stopped and looked around, searching for the Royal Guard and Army uniforms that were always surrounding the palace, but today was different—there wasn't a uniform in sight. Lucy began to panic.

 _Where are they? They have to be here somewhere!_

She heard horses and a crowd off in the distance. Lucy charged off in the direction of the noise, leaving behind her shoes in the process. She didn't stop or even look back as they flew off her feet. She felt the cold splash of water as she ran through a pond. She felt the sting of pain as her flesh tore against the branches of the hedges that she was pressing through. She was not paying attention to the pieces of dress and petticoat tearing off and scattering about the garden. Lucy just didn't care; she was focused on reaching her destination. In the distance, she could see an army regimen leaving the palace. Her stomach fell; she was too late, she wasn't going to make it in time.

"NO! GRAY! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE ALL ALONE!" She shouted at the soldiers through bursts of tears.

Lucy made it to the main road of the palace courtyard as the last of the regimen was leaving through the large gate. Lucy looked frantically for Gray among the sea of blue and silver, sweat dripping down her face. Finally, she found him at the back of the line.

"GRAY! GRAY, PLEASE DON'T GO!" She shouted after him.

Gray looked around, surprised to hear his name being called. Finally, he spotted Lucy charging after him. Gray's face grew pained as he looked her in the eyes, hers desperately telling him to stay, and his telling her that he couldn't. Gray turned back around and walked away, the gates slowly closing on his silhouette.

Lucy shook her head.

 _Not again! Don't close the door!_

"GRAY! DON'T GO!" She pleaded, reaching out her arms with her whole being, wanting Gray to reciprocate.

Finally, the gigantic gates closed, with a deep resounding bang that echoed throughout the entire palace. Lucy felt her heart shatter, as the last of Gray's figure was blocked out by the gate. She fell to her knees and shook her head.

 _No, it can't be… Gray is… gone?_

"GRAAAY!" She choked.

It felt as though her world came crashing down, with the noise of the gate sealing her miserable future forever. As she looked at the gate, she vowed that one day she would run away, so far away that her father could never touch her. And maybe, just maybe, she could find happiness once again.

* * *

Natsu waited until Lucy caught her breath to continue.

"Gray was deployed into the military by my father, to get him away from me. He had found out that I was in love so he sent him to the front lines. Weeks later, it was told to me that he was… was… killed… in action…" Lucy couldn't bring herself to say another word.

Natsu frowned, contemplating what he had just been told. He closed his eyes and moved his arms so that they wrapped around her figure and embraced her. Lucy was taken aback as she looked to her side, only to get a face full of pink hair.

"You don't have to say anymore, Lucy. I think I can kind of figure out the rest of the story on my own." He whispered, releasing Lucy from his grasp and slowly stood up.

Lucy watched Natsu walk over to the cabin door and stop.

"We obviously won't be able to keep this a secret from Gray; I think it's best that we include him in our little agreement. Don't worry, I won't make you see him if you aren't ready. However, he's going to know right away when he sees you, so we might as well let him in on it." He was about to open the door, when he noticed another pair of hands on top of his. He looked over and saw Lucy stopping him.

… _Lucy…_ Natsu wondered what was going through her mind.

"I… I know you have to, but please let me do it." She told him.

Natsu turned to face her directly and lifted her chin, so that he was looking her in the eyes.

"Listen, Lucy, it's not that I don't want you to see him… it's just…" Natsu dropped his hand and looked back at the door. Lucy looked up at him, confused.

"It's just…" He continued, "…a lot has happened since he left the palace…" Natsu couldn't look her in the eyes. Lucy took a step back, her head swarming with every situation that could possibly be implied by that statement. She finally ended up back in the cot with her head being held in her hands.

Natsu looked back at her once more before heading out his door to go talk to Gray. He sighed as he opened the door and took a step out; he couldn't help but feel like he was hurting Lucy by doing this _._

 _This situation will just hurt her, but there was no way around it!_

 _Why do I care anyway?_

He walked somberly over to the hatch that lead to the hold below deck, and stopped right above the grate that allowed you to see into the hold. Natsu gave a good couple stomps to get Gray's attention.

It didn't take long before he heard noises below deck the shuffling, of papers and clanking of metal falling onto the ground.

"Gray, you bastard! Get up here!" He shouted.

"GIVE ME A MINUTE, YOU ARROGANT ASSHOLE!" Screamed an enraged Gray.

Natsu made a face that expressed his disapproval of how his first mate addressed him; but he decided to let it slide given the circumstances. Gray was never one who liked to be woken up; in fact most members of the guild dreaded having to be the one to wake him if he ever fell asleep while at headquarters. Natsu smiled, reminiscing about old times.

However, his tolerance for Gray was running thin.

"Hurry it up, you…" Natsu was cut off.

"I'm coming, flames for brains! Just hold your horses for one damn second!" Gray's voice bellowed from below deck.

Natsu lifted the hatch for Gray to come up. Gray was disheveled, wearing only his boots and boxer shorts as he climbed the ladder to the deck above. Gray climbed onto the wood deck and stumbled onto his feet. He then immediately clomped over to Natsu on the other side of the hatch, and gave him a good left hook to the stomach.

"Gaaa! What the hell…you dick!" Natsu was gasping for breath as he crumpled onto the floor.

"What do you mean? You're the one who woke me up, so what could you possibly want from me at this hour?!" Gray's voice shook with rage.

Natsu rolled over on his back, gripping his stomach. He glared at Gray, and lifted his hand towards him so that he could help him back to his feet. Gray rolled his eyes as he clasped hands with Natsu and pulled him up. It took Natsu a minute to compose himself before he could look Gray in the face.

"Look, Gray, we need to talk… It's important." Natsu said, finally getting the wind back in him.

Gray looked at Natsu with a stern expression.

"So important that it couldn't wait until morning?" he glared.

"Just follow me…" Natsu responded.

Gray lifted his arm in front of himself in a decisive motion.

"Lead on, fearless leader." He said sarcastically.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "First you're going to need to know something…"

Gray lifted an eyebrow in response, waiting for Natsu to finish.

"… It has to do with someone from your past. It's… Lucy…"

Gray's eyes widened with shock.

"How… how do you even know that name?" He whispered.

Gray started to look pained and confused.

"Gray…" Natsu said, comfortingly. "Lucy is here. She ran away and she's swindled me into taking her away from Fiore, but Gray…"

Gray looked at Natsu. He couldn't believe what he was saying. What did he mean she was here? And on the ship? The information was too much; he put a hand on Natsu's shoulder for support.

"Gray… You're going to have to tell her what's happened. You have to tell her the truth; she's still hopelessly in love with you…" Natsu said, with a pained voice.

Gray looked down and then back at Natsu, trying to come to terms with what he was hearing. All he could read off Natsu's face was concern.

"Where… where is she now?" He stammered.

"… In my cabin." Natsu answered, handing out his key in front of Gray's face.

Gray looked at Natsu, pain suddenly gone from his face. It was now replaced with anger, as he grabbed his captain by the cuff of his vest.

"You didn't…" He clenched his teeth menacingly.

"OF COUSRE NOT!" Natsu shouted, as he pushed Gray off his collar. "Let's just go."

"No! No… It's fine, I'll go see her myself." Gray muttered shyly as he headed off towards the cabin.

"Uhhh Gray!" Natsu shouted after him.

"What now!" Gray replied angrily.

"PANTS!"

Gray looked down to see that he was sporting briefs and boots. His face flushed red and he headed back under deck.

"I'll see her in a minute… after I change…"

Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Just make it quick, I need some shut eye as I haven't slept in two days…but it's not what it sounds like." Natsu chuckled as he headed back to the captain's cabin, and pulled a spare key from inside his boot.

"See you soon…" Natsu said, as he waited for the sound of Gray's boots to disappear below deck before he put the key into his cabin door.

 _What has my life come to? Well, can't help it now…_

Natsu unlocked the door and walked inside his cabin, ready to face whatever was going to happen—good or bad.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Hey guys! I'm working really hard on this still. My family is having an emergency so it might be a couple weeks before another chapter is posted, but I'll still try! Let me know how you like my chapter!

Chapter 5

Natsu yawned and wiped away his tiredness from his eyes. He stood at the helm and glared into the rising sun; he was exhausted, as he had spent the entire night listening to Gray and Lucy talk it out. Natsu rested his head against the steering wheel and let the cold of the wood cool down his head, relieving the pain his eyes were feeling.

 _Those two really need to figure out how to move past the…past._

But Natsu was too tired to talk or even think about it now. He had to wait above deck for his crew, who would be there momentarily. Natsu lifted and shook his head, trying to wake himself up—but it was of no use.

 _Sigh…maybe I should go wash my face._

Natsu started to move towards the direction of the helm and Captain's quarters so he could use his washroom, when he had to stop.

 _Lucy is still in there…should I bother her? She had an awful night and perhaps she's asleep, but we have to talk._

Natsu quietly and carefully stepped off the helm and walked over to his door. He leaned forward and placed his ear to the door, silently listening for any noise from behind the door; he couldn't hear anything. All that was coming from the other side was silence. Natsu gave a sigh of relief as he pulled out his key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He slowly opened it, careful to peek inside first. It was dark; the blinds that covered the windows in the back of the cabin were drawn shut—no movement came from within. Natsu raised an eyebrow, he couldn't see Lucy. Natsu stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

"Lucy, are you in here?" He asked.

Natsu didn't see any movement in the cabin.

 _Maybe she went on deck? No, that's not possible, I would have seen her. Maybe she's talking with Gray below deck…_

Natsu scratched the back of his head, remembering what had happened last night. Gray had come forward and told the truth about why he left the castle and why he couldn't be with her now. Natsu remembered the pain on Lucy's face and the betrayal she had felt.

* * *

 _Last night_

Gray was standing outside the door to his captain's room with his hand raised, but frozen, trying to knock on the door. Sweat dribbled down his neck into his white linen shirt.

 _Damn It, Gray! You can do this! You owe this much to her; you have to tell her what happened._

Gray paced three firm knocks onto the door hoping that Natsu had lied, and Lucy really wasn't on the ship. Almost immediately, after the last knock, the door opened. Natsu had been the one to answer.

"Took you long enough to get dressed! Now get in here and make this conversation quick, we all need some sleep before the sun rises!" Natsu barked.

Gray just glared at him as he walked passed, but he froze solid as soon as he saw who was sitting on his captain's cot. It was Lucy; she looked exactly like he remembered. She was beautiful but strong; her brown piercing eyes looked straight through to your soul. Seeing Lucy made old memories and feelings rush back to him.

Natsu cleared his throat, bringing Gray back from whatever planet he was on.

"Uhh…pardon me, Captain… I spaced out." Gray stammered.

Natsu rolled his eyes as he opened the door and stepped out to give them some space and time.

"I'm going to be back in half an hour, so make this quick, Gray." The Captain said, as he closed the door.

Gray watched as his captain left the room, he then turned his attention over to Lucy. He walked over to the desk and grabbed the chair that had been sitting there. He slid it against the wood floor, and placed it so that it was directly in front of Lucy before he took his seat. Gray looked up at Lucy; her face seemed to be permanently fixed with a look of shock. The two sat in awkward silence for a while, until Lucy broke it.

"… Uhh, Hey, Gray. It's been awhile… how…"

Gray lifted his hand to silence her and closed his eyes. Lucy closed her mouth instantly and waited for Gray to speak. Gray slowly opened his eyes. His face looked hurt and his eyes looked sad. Gray leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, as his hands were clasped in front of him.

"Princess…" He began, "There's some things you need to hear."

Lucy cocked her head to the side, but said nothing. She just waited for Gray to continue.

"To begin, I'll tell you the real reason why I was sent away from the palace. In truth I was never sent away… I left."

Lucy's eyes grew wide as he continued.

"I left the palace of my own conviction. As you know, I had been learning ice magic at the palace from my master, Ur. What you may not know is the reason why I decided to learn magic."

Lucy was doing her best to keep up with his story, her mind trying to grasp what he was saying.

"My hometown was destroyed when I was little, by the Royal Army. We lived on the border with another country, and when your father's troops ran through the city, they killed everyone. The only ones to survive the attack were my father and I."

Lucy's eyes filled with tears at the story that he was telling. Her own father had caused so much pain for everyone.

"So when the army found us, they gave us two choices. One, be killed now. Or two, join the army—the both of us. So my father and I took the latter of the two. We joined the Royal Army and Guard to survive. However, one day the troops were given the option to learn magic from the teachers that the palace had hired. One of them was Ur. She noticed my promise right away and taught me magic. The only reason I had agreed was because one day I wanted to come back and destroy the Royal Family…who had destroyed mine."

Gray looked away from Lucy, ashamed of what he was telling her. He gritted his teeth and put a hand over his face as he leaned back in the chair. He let his hand drop to his side as he stared at the ceiling.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy…"

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, but was once again stopped by Gray.

"Please…" he pleaded. "Wait until I'm finished…"

Lucy nodded at him, as she curled her knees into her chest.

"So, when they made me your Guard, I only agreed because I wanted to get close enough to… kill you…" As the words came from Gray's mouth, his face looked more and more pained. He felt as though the words were poison that was sucking his life away from him slowly.

"I hate myself for even thinking or planning that now, because from the moment we met, I knew you were just like me, and yet, I still planned this regardless."

Gray paused for a minute to gather his thoughts. His face grew softer and sadder.

"While we were growing up together, I found myself falling for you and those thoughts scared me. Then, the day we kissed…" He stopped and looked at Lucy in the eyes. She looked back at Gray, her heart beating so loud that she felt like it was going to jump out of her chest and burst.

"I knew I loved you" He finished.

He stopped and allowed some time for Lucy to understand.

"That's why I had to leave. I left so that I could increase my magic power and also because I was too ashamed of myself to be around you. You deserved better and you needed better than me. So when the next deployment came, I entered my name for it and was sent out with the army. From there, it was easy. I faked my own death so that the army and my father wouldn't look for me. But, it was also so that you would be free from me, so that you wouldn't remain tethered to your love for someone who tried to kill you…"

Lucy's head was hidden in her knees while she thought about Gray and what he was telling her. Gray reached forward and placed his hand on her head. Lucy's head snapped up, surprised at the physical contact that she wasn't expecting.

Gray quickly retracted his hand and lowered his arm. He looked away from her, ashamed of himself. Lucy watched him as he fought with himself. She didn't know how to feel, she didn't know how to react. Finally, she just asked him a question.

"Do… do you still… love me?"

Gray's eyes found hers. He thought about the question for a while and thought about the words he should use, so that he would accurately portray his feelings. Meanwhile, Lucy's heart was racing waiting for him to answer, and dreading the response she knew she couldn't handle.

"Not… in the same way." He said, somberly.

Lucy's stomach fell. She almost didn't care about what else he had to say. She wrapped a blanket from the cot around herself as she felt the dam inside of her break. The tears were coming, and they were coming hard. She didn't want Gray to see her like this, more than anything else. She forced herself to be strong. She glared into the floor and bit down hard on her tongue, forcing herself to pull it together.

"Natsu doesn't know anything about this; he wanted me to tell you about… Juvia…"

If she felt like breaking before, it was nothing compared to how she felt after hearing a girl's name.

"We met about the time I left the palace… so, about oh geez, five years ago. I'll skip the details, but the gist of it is this, I'm asking her to marry me two months from now. I love her and we're very happy together…"

If Gray was still talking, Lucy couldn't hear. All she could hear was her own heartbeat and her mind was racing, not being able to keep up with what was going on around her. She didn't know how much time had passed when she saw Gray get up to leave. Lucy just watched him walk over to the door. He gave her a half-hearted smile before leaving.

That was it, her emotions poured out of her as she clutched the blanket around her. She held on tight, as her tears swept her away into sleep.

* * *

Natsu leaned against his door and sighed. Gray had told him the whole thing after he left the room and told him to give her some space. This was why Natsu had stayed on deck all night, not sleeping. Natsu cursed Gray silently as walked over to his wash room and opened the door, only to run head first into Lucy.

"Gaaah!" they both cried in unison.

Natsu stumbled backwards a few steps. When he had composed himself, he looked up to find Lucy crumpled on the ground. He walked over to her and reached out his arm to help her up. She looked up at him and Natsu got a good look at her face. Her eyes and nose were all red and swollen; her cheeks were flushed.

"You alright?" Natsu asked.

Lucy's looked away as she reached for his hand, clearly embarrassed about Natsu seeing her this way.

"I've been better, but I'll live." she responded meekly.

Natsu smiled as he pulled her up and let her get soundly settled onto her feet.

"You just need some time. I know most people will tell you that time heals all wounds, but I don't think that's true. Sure it helps but the only thing that can heal a broken heart is to fill that heart with love. You just need some true friends."

He grinned at her.

"It's a good thing you'll be around here; we have a surplus of good friends for you to make."

Lucy knew he was just trying to help her feel better, but it just made her feel worse. She wasn't ready to hear that yet. She needed to get over Gray in her own time. But being on an enclosed space with the one you were supposed to get over seemed nearly impossible.

 _Why did I have to come aboard this particular ship? Why is fate so cruel?_

Natsu noticed her face darken as more tears began to form at her eyes.

 _Way to go, Natsu!_ He thought to himself. _Looks like you're just making things worse._

"Hey, Natsu?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Do… Do you think Gray is happy?"

Natsu smiled at her gently.

"Yeah, yeah he is…"

"Then, I'll be happy for him. It's just going to take a little bit for me to be ok."

Natsu ruffled her hair and gave his toothy grin. He made his way past her to the counter that was holding a water basin as well as a pitcher full of water; a mirror hung on the wall in the background. He poured some water into the basin and cupped his hands, splashing it onto his face. He felt water drip down his neck and chest. The cold water felt good and refreshing. He grabbed a cloth from a dowel rod and dipped in into the basin as well. He took the cloth and wiped the sweat from his neck and arms. He looked over at Lucy who had been watching the whole time. He chuckled at her.

"If you stare too long, your face is going to be stuck like that" He joked.

Lucy glared at him and walked out of the wash room into the captain's room. Natsu shrugged as he replaced the cloth to its home.

"Lucy, the rest of the crew is going to be here anytime now; you'll only have to be in here for a little longer, I promise. Gray and I have thought of how we can get the others to trust you, but you're going to have to come up with a story to tell them when they ask you about where you're from." he said, reassuringly.

Lucy nodded in response, letting the Captain know that she understood.

"Great, that will do for now, I have to go get the ship ready to go out to sea. Or at least get someone to do it. Afterward, I'm going to come in here for some much needed sleep. At that point, Gray will introduce you to the rest of the crew. You're welcome to stay here as well, if you're not ready to talk to Gray yet—providing you don't wake me up." Natsu winked at her as he left the cabin.

Natsu walked out of his cabin to witness Gray talking to members of his crew. He smiled.

 _Finally, we're going to get off this God-forsaken dock and out to sea._

"Gajeel! Levy! Wendy! You guys made it back!" he laughed.

The four people turned to face their Captain.

"Hey, Natsu!" Wendy blushed.

The Captain walked up to her and lifted her up on his shoulders.

"Waaaa!" She cried.

Natsu just laughed.

"I missed you guys! Next time, finish your jobs faster!"

Wendy laughed as Natsu placed her back down on the ship.

Levy was laughing at the pair while Gajeel rolled his eyes.

"Captain, we need to get this ship out to sea. Unless you have more important business, I suggest you stop being stupid and help us out." Gajeel grumbled.

"Actually, Gajeel, I'm putting you in charge of our departure." Natsu said, as Wendy ran off to the hold below deck.

Everyone gasped.

"Uhhh, you want to say that again, Captain?" Gray asked.

"You and I haven't had any sleep Gray. We're in no condition to get this ship out of the harbor. So, Gajeel, you're in charge. As soon as Mirajane and Elfman get here, you set sail. Is that clear?" Natsu said, in his most commanding voice.

"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" Gray and Gajeel chorused, as they went off in different directions to start preparations. Natsu looked at Gray and turned around to head back to his cot.

"If I wake up sometime this week, it'll be too soon…" He said, exasperated.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Sorry guys! I know it's been a while since I posted but my grandpa died, so I hope you understand. But I worked really hard on this chapter so I hope you like it as much as I do! Let me know what you think! I appreciate your comments.

Chapter 6

It had been two days since the ship left port at Magnolia. Since then, the ship had gone to several ports on the way back to a place which Natsu called Tenro Island. He had explained to Lucy the way the Fairy Tail guild functioned and made their money.

The guild itself had their guild hall on an island where only the members of Fairy Tail were allowed to port. From there, they ran their fleet of ships—with Natsu being one of the ships' Captains. There were several ships with their own captains, but their crews were never the same. Based on where the ships were going and where the members accepted their jobs, they picked the ship going in that direction; it was a really efficient way for the ships and the crew to work together and get jobs—more and more crew had come aboard since Magnolia.

Lucy hadn't met any of them yet, but she knew a little about them and who they were from the information Natsu had given her, and from listening in on conversations from Natsu's room. Everyone on board seemed kind and genuine, and the thought gave Lucy a feeling of relief.

Lucy looked over to the sleeping Captain at the end of the room snoring away on his futon, his cat Happy curled up beside him. She smiled to herself as she looked at him; something about his countenance while he slept made him resonate with the innocence of a child. He had been sleeping for most of the voyage so far. She couldn't blame him; he had been up for two days straight. Lucy chuckled as she walked over to the captain and sat down on the floor next to him. Lucy reached down and stroked Happy's head.

 _I wish I could be as carefree as you, Happy…_

 _Being a cat seems a lot easier than being a runaway princess._

Happy purred in response to Lucy's touch and he rolled over onto his back, presenting his belly. Lucy smiled at him as she went to pet his belly. As she moved her hand, she looked at the Captain—who was staring back at her with his onyx eyes.

"Gaaa!" She exclaimed, as she stumbled backwards to distance herself.

Natsu raised an eyebrow at her response.

"What's wrong, princess? You were the one staring at me while I was sleeping. Shouldn't I be the one who is shocked?" He asked, mockingly.

Lucy glared at him while she stood up and dusted off her pants.

"I was petting Happy—you just happened to be there next to him; it was mere coincidence." She retorted.

Natsu smiled as he took off the blanket on top of him, revealing his half-naked body underneath.

"Geeze, Natsu! I wish you wouldn't do that!" Lucy said, embarrassed as she turned around and shielded her eyes.

"Mmmmm?" He responded, as he stood up from his futon stretching out his arms and shoulders.

"You got up from bed in just your boxers without even giving me time to go into the washroom while you get dressed!" She said angrily.

Natsu just looked at her blankly as he grabbed his clothes from the neatly folded pile next to his futon.

"Princess, I don't really care if you see me or not, but if it makes you uncomfortable maybe new sleeping arrangements are in order?" He asked.

Lucy looked confused.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"I mean maybe it's time you met the crew and got out of this cabin; you being in here all day is making it stuffy. Also, I feel bad that you're locked in here all the time; after you meet the crew you can sleep in the womens' sleeping quarters with Mirajane and Wendy. I think that will make you feel a lot more comfortable."

Lucy smiled back at the captain. He obviously cared for her well being.

 _Maybe he really is nice and isn't pretending just because he thought that it was in his interest._

"Of course…" He continued, while buttoning his pants up and tying his sash around his waist. "…that also means that you'll be right next door to Gray and the mens' sleeping quarters." He looked over at Lucy, whose face had darkened.

"The decision is yours, but let me know by this evening?"

Lucy nodded in his direction, keeping her thoughts to herself. Natsu closed his eyes as he slipped on his vest and wrapped his scarf around his neck.

"That will do for now. I'm going outside, I'd like for you to accompany me and meet the crew that's on board."

Lucy's countenance changed as she snapped her head up to look at Natsu.

"What? Already? Haven't you thought of what you're going to tell them?"

Natsu sighed as he tugged the bottom of his vest, finally finished getting himself dressed.

"Yes I've thought about it a great deal over the last couple days and I think the easiest thing to do is just tell them you're a new recruit for the Fairy Tail guild. Of course that means that you'll actually have to join… so the only way this will work is if you agree to it."

Lucy looked back at Natsu, not believing what she was hearing.

 _I still don't know this guy very well. This could be a trap…maybe some sort of con?_

"… Are you sure that's the best way?" She asked, hesitantly.

"Yes." Natsu said, flatly.

Lucy folded her arms as she looked at the Natsu.

"I suppose it can't be helped…"

Natsu walked towards the door and looked over his shoulder to observe Lucy.

"Are you coming or not?" He asked, impatiently.

Lucy gave a huff and pursed her lips as she stomped over to the Captain.

Natsu laughed.

"I hope you're making that face when you meet everyone, that'd be a great first impression!" Natsu said, giving her a toothy grin as he opened the door for her.

Lucy raised a hand to her face to block out the sun that was burning her eyes as she walked out the door. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the light after crossing the threshold of the cabin. As soon as she could see, she observed several people walking about doing business aboard the ship. Lucy felt the Captain brush past her. She watched him walk over to the crow's nest and put his index finger and thumb to his mouth as he inhaled and gave a piercing whistle that resonated through the ship and the sea. Lucy slammed her hands to her ears and covered them in protest.

"ATTENTION, HAPPY CREW!" Natsu declared, jumping into the shrouds of the ship.

The members of the crew gathered around where the captain was standing.

"I have brought a new crew member on board, and in doing so, she will be joining Fairy Tail." Natsu finished his speech and gestured towards Lucy, causing all the eyes of the crew to follow and land squarely on her. Lucy blushed, and slowly raised her hand and gave a pathetic wave and smile in an attempt to make a good first impression. Natsu jumped down from the shrouds and walked up to Lucy, ignoring the quizzical looks from his crew.

"She is my personal guest on this ship and will be treated with the utmost respect. So do try your best to get along; she's pretty easy going and I don't think that will be a problem for any of you. In fact, she's very kind and respectful."

Lucy felt herself blush at the comments that the Captain was making. From the corner of her eye she saw a burly man with long black hair roll his eyes. He then noticed her looking at him and gave her a huff as he walked away.

 _Did I do something wrong?_

She turned back towards the Captain, who gave her a wink as he walked up to her and placed his arm around her waist.

"I leave her in your care! Show her what kind of guild we really are!" Natsu finished by punching his fist into the air as if to psych up his crew. The crew cheered in response and clapped.

Lucy found herself scanning the crowd looking for Gray.

 _He's not here… but I guess that's to be expected…_

Lucy felt Natsu's arm drop from her waist. She turned towards him and saw him walking away to the hull.

 _Natsu! Where are you going? Don't leave me out here by myself, you jerk!_

Natsu turned back to look at her and gave her another wink as he took the wheel. Lucy could feel all of the eyes behind staring at her. She cringed as she slowly turned around to face the crew; they were all staring at her with quizzical looks on their faces. It was then that a small petite girl in a yellow dress with blue hair adorned with a ribbon stepped forward from behind the crowd.

Lucy watched the girl approach her shyly.

"My name's Levy, I'm the navigator aboard the 'Happy.' It's nice to meet you. Lucy!" She said, raising her hand to shake Lucy's.

Lucy looked at Levy's hand outstretched and slowly raised her own.

"My name's Lucy... it's nice to meet you, too." She smiled, giving it her best effort.

Levy smiled back and took Lucy by the hand.

"Let me show you around. It's not much, but you should stay familiar with the ship and your surroundings if you're joining Fairy Tail."

Levy started to guide Lucy away.

* * *

Natsu was watching from the hull; his curiosities were getting the better of him. He wanted to see what Lucy and the crew would do.

He sat there with a grin on his face.

 _If I'm stuck with her calling the shots, I might as well have a laugh now and then at her expense._

And on cue, Natsu laughed to himself.

"Hey there, Cap'n!" An angry male voice called from above his head.

Natsu slowly looked over to see black boots standing right next to him, and followed them up to see Gray standing above him with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Natsu grimaced at the look Gray was giving him.

Gray looked livid.

Gray's face normally had a permanent scowl, but the face he was giving Natsu right now was solely reserved for when he was brutally pummeling an enemy.

"So, Natsu, I would like to know... just what the hell you think you're doing!?" Gray growled, as he gave Natsu a swift kick in the pants.

The impact sent Natsu flying flat on his face.

Natsu gritted his teeth and staggered back to his feet.

"The hell, Gray?!"

"Where do you get off inviting Lucy into the guild?!"

Natsu stared at Gray and looked him over more closely.

 _He isn't angry he's… worried. I know Gray's concerned about something. Is it Lucy? Or Juvia? Is he afraid of Lucy meeting Juvia? Can't blame him for that…"_

Natsu snapped out of his reverie.

"What are you worried about, Gray?"

Gray looked shocked for a split second, and then glared at the deck.

"I… it's too dangerous for the Princess to be in an exiled and illegal wizarding guild…"

"Ever her protector, eh, Gray?"

Gray glared at Natsu with bitterness in his eyes.

"Don't push me, Natsu. She's the Princess and…"

Natsu cut him off.

"She's finally free, Gray! Who gives a damn about appropriate social behavior? She'll be fine in Fairy—"

Gray grabbed Natsu by his vest and slammed him against the wall, fixing his gaze with Natsu's.

Natsu glared right back, his face unchanging and unrelenting.

Gray decided to break the deadlock.

"You don't know her or her family like I do. They will hunt every last one of us down, and they will enjoy it. Not only that, but we will have started a war and she will be right in the middle of it. Do you get where I'm coming from?"

He spat angrily in Natsu's face.

Natsu grabbed Gray's hands and slowly moved them away from his person.

"I understand all of that, Gray. I understood that when I asked her to join; that's why it took me a while to come to this conclusion."

Gray stepped back and waited for Natsu to finish what he wanted to say.

"I also know that this war was a long time coming, and we're going to have to pick sides, Gray. You know the way our country runs…the monarchy…the corruption. You can't tell me that you haven't felt this way, too. And if she _was_ all tucked away at home safe and sound, she'd still be in the middle of this war as a member of the royal family! At least this way we can keep an eye on her—and it also gives us a little leverage in the upcoming war." As Natsu finished, he walked away from Gray and leaned over the railing.

"Wait a second, Natsu. Are you telling me that you mean to start a war? And that you're going to use the Princess as bait? Or leverage? Or whatever you're calling it?!"

"I didn't start this war…!" Natsu shouted, as he turned back around to face Gray.

"…I sure as hell didn't start it, but one way or another this war is going to end—and I don't want the evil and corrupt people in this world to be the ones who win. So yeah, I'll do whatever it takes. I don't want to throw Lucy smack in the middle of it. Believe it or not, I actually do care about her and her well being. I personally will protect her with my strength and my life, Gray—because you can't!"

Gray shuddered as he held his gaze to Natsu's eyes.

"And why can't I?" He said in a hushed tone.

"Because Lucy can't take it, Gray! Seeing you is killing her, and if you tried to help, it would only hurt Juvia and ruin your relationship. You care about both of them too much to do that to them. You have to give yourself to Juvia entirely and let Lucy go. Sometimes when we love people, we have to let them go for their sakes and our own Gray…" Natsu said in a comforting tone.

Gray closed his eyes for a moment to process what was being said.

"This is a dangerous move, Natsu—but I trust you. I've followed you into the pits of hell before and I'll do it again. I trust you more than anyone; it's why I became your first mate to begin with. But, so help me Natsu, if you don't protect the Princess, I'll…"

Natsu waved him off.

"I know, Gray. I know. I swear an oath to you that I will protect her with my life, but for both of your sakes, please stay away from her. I know you have history, but I think it's best for both of you to give each other some space." Natsu somberly walked over to Gray and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"In the meantime, let her have her fun and make friends in the guild. They're all good people who will help heal her wounds that her family has made. It will be a good healing experience for her—and for you." Natsu dropped his hand as he walked passed Gray.

Gray watched Natsu as he walked away from the hull and climbed the ladder down to the main deck.

"I'm leaving the steering wheel in your care, Gray! Make sure you take us home!"

Natsu smiled.

Gray shook his head as he took hold of the steering wheel.

 _That man is going to get us all killed one of these days._

Gray looked up to see Lucy and Levy talking over some books on main deck, leaning against the railing. He smiled to himself as he witnessed his childhood friend expanding her world.

 _Maybe this will be good for her, and who's to say it would be any better for her in the palace._

As Gray finished his thought, he heard a huge resounding bang in the distance. He turned towards the sound, but before he could locate its source, the starboard side of the ship exploded in a rain of shrapnel. The ship 'Happy' creaked and rocked violently, knocking many of the crew off their feet and sending them flying across the ship. Gray stumbled to his feet and peeked over the back of the ship in the direction of the sound.

In the distance, he saw a royal flag ship.

 _Damn it! They're after us! How did we miss that!?_

Natsu's voice called out.

"EVERYONE TO BATTLE STATIONS!"

With his voice ringing throughout the ship, Natsu flew over to Lucy's side, grabbing her and pushing her onto the deck. Using his own body as a shield, he kept her pinned against the floor as another cannon ball whizzed pass them—barely missing their heads as it shattered the railing and landed into the ocean, causing a huge wave of water to splash all over the deck that drenched them both.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N So sorry about the wait! But here it is, the next chapter! Please comment, let me know what you think!

Chapter 7

"START THE COUNTER OFFENSIVE!"

Natsu shouted from his crouched position, still shielding Lucy, keeping her pinned to the ground. Natsu grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up to a standing position. Lucy was in shock; she wasn't sure what to think.

 _What is going on? Who is attacking us?_

The captain shook Lucy hard, trying to get her back to the reality of their situation.

"Lucy! Lucy! Wake up! Can you hear me?!"

Lucy snapped out of it and finally fixed her gaze onto Natsu's.

"Lucy! Finally! I need you to hide in my cabin and stay in there until I _specifically_ come and get you! Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Lucy just stared back at Natsu in bewilderment.

"LUCY!"

"Yeah… Yeah I got you Natsu- I'll be in the cabin…" Lucy toppled backwards after being slowly released from Natsu's grasp. Natsu watched her for a second wondering if she'd be okay by herself.

"Mr. Fullbuster! Get below deck and patch up those holes!"

"Aye, Cap'n!" Gray's response came as he leapt from the steering wheel and raced down below deck.

"Mr. Redfox! Load up those cannons and get ready to fire on my signal!"

"Aye, Cap'n."

"Miss McGarden! Shield us as best you can without blocking the trajectory of the cannons!"

"Aye, Cap'n!" Levy's voice came as she walked up to the railing.

She started casting solid script magic to shield the ships from attacks when a cannon ball slammed into the magical shield, causing the boat to echo with an ear-splitting and resounding bang.

Lucy continued walking towards the Captain's cabin, but on the way, she crept over to what was left of the railing to look at the ship that was attacking. It was decorated with a blue and silver flag—with the royal family crest on it. Lucy could feel herself starting to panic.

 _How… how did they find me?_

"LUCY!" She heard her name being shouted from across the ship.

Lucy turned towards the sound to see Natsu looking at her, his eyes brimming with ferocity.

"Get inside now! I don't have time to watch you, lead the assault and protect the ship!" He barked at her like he did his orders with his other crew.

Lucy eyes widened as she turned tail to Natsu's room, threw open the door- locking it behind her. Lucy stood there panting and leaning against the door, letting the events of the last couple seconds sink in.

 _What's going on? Did they follow us? Or are they just attacking out of the blue? They were pirates after all… and wizard guilds are illegal in Fiore now…_

Lucy thought about when her father had made the guilds illegal. Well, that wasn't entirely true; they were illegal if you didn't pay outrageous taxes on your guild. Because of the law, many guilds went rogue and took to piracy. However, they were only considered pirates because they were operating under illegal circumstances. They were taking jobs under unofficial banners, which the royal family didn't really approve of. Most of them had set up shady ways of getting work. They had safe houses where people could drop off jobs which were then transferred to the official guild hall. Natsu had told Lucy that this is how their particular guild ran. They had safe houses all over the continent—not just Fiore. The man who ran the safe house in Magnolia was called… Macao? He said he was a good guy and if we ever got separated in Magnolia, to meet him at Macao's. The Guild was always under pressure of the Royal Army. They would look for any reason to sink a guild ship; just having an unofficial guild flag was reason enough to attack them. There were a lot of guilds that her father was hunting regularly… so it's possible that this was just a coincidence.

 _Either way, we're in big trouble…_

* * *

"Gray, keep those holes plugged!" Natsu's voice rang out.

"Doing the best I can, Cap'n!"

Natsu jumped up into the ships shrouds to see a cannon ball on a trajectory path right into his skull.

Natsu gritted his teeth and swore under his breath.

"Damn it!"

He jumped with all his might and threw himself right into the cannonball's path. He reared his right arm and punched it as hard as he could muster. The cannonball cracked at the force of his punch and shattered. The reverberating force of the impact threw him onto the ship. His landing was less than graceful, as his back slammed into the floor of the deck.

Natsu stumbled back to his feet. The cannons were finally ready; he looked over to Gajeel, who gave him a nod. Natsu wiped the sweat off his lips and stood up straight.

"FIRE!" He bellowed.

As the last syllable left his lips, all of his cannons aboard the ship fired at the Royal Army. The cannons flew through the air and plummeted onto the opposing ship. As they collided, wood and steel alike bowed, cracked, and shattered. The sound echoed over the sea, as the side of the ship burst open. Natsu climbed into the shrouds and glared at the enemy ship, waiting for the dust to clear. When it finally did, Natsu could see that the ship was still floating.

 _Damn…!_

Natsu's brow furrowed in anger as the scene of the ship's remaining exterior flashed across his eyes.

"I'm going in personally!" He growled bitterly through clenched teeth.

Natsu jumped up onto the bowsprit and walked out as far as it would allow. He looked around at his surroundings; his crew was frantically reloading and firing the cannons, while Gray was patching up the holes of the ship with his ice magic. Levy was still protecting the crew with her solid script magic, casting barrier after barrier.

 _We're not going to last much longer… Our ship is less than half the size of theirs, and an even smaller crew. I have no choice… it's us or them…_

Natsu faced the opposing ship and closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his magic power. Upon opening them, he inhaled deeply and exhaled a ferocious inferno of twisting and swirling flames.

The fire soared across the sea into the Royal Army's ship, causing it to erupt into flames. Natsu grimaced as the shouts and screams of the enemy cascaded into his ears. He stood there for a moment waiting for a good visual of the opposing ship, waiting to see if the Royal Army had survived. The smoke cleared slightly allowing him to see the skeletal remains of the ship slowly sinking into the ocean. Natsu closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

… _I hate this. War is ugly… I'm so sorry that I'm dragging you into this Lucy… Try to forgive me._

He slowly moved down the bowsprit and jumped from his perch. He lifted his head to face his crew. Some had mournful looks, others fear. Gajeel narrowed his eyes at Natsu as he crossed his arms. Natsu ignored him and continued to walk down the deck passing crew member after crew member, their gazes piercing him as he passed. Finally, he felt a hand gently placed on his shoulder. He looked up in surprise and turned to see Mirajane smiling gently at him.

"It's okay, Natsu… It was the only way you could save all of us. We understand…" She said, comfortingly.

Natsu stood and look at her, but he couldn't hold her gaze; he was too ashamed and looked away bitterly. He put his hand on hers and slowly removed her grasp from his shoulder.

"Thank you, Mirajane… I'll take that under consideration…"

She smiled and patted him on the back as he walked to his cabin and unlocked the door. He turned his head slightly to take one last look behind him and then walked through the threshold.

* * *

Lucy was sitting at the Captain's desk with her head in her hands, wondering what was going on outside; all she could hear were screams and the snapping and creaking of wood.

 _I should be out there helping! I know I can fight too; I have my spirits, and my skills with a sword!_

Lucy clenched her teeth in frustration. She looked up from her desk and stared at the light coming from the cracks between the door and the frame. Suddenly, she heard the door unlock as it opened. Lucy stood from her chair, but the rapid flooding of light in the cabin made it difficult to see who it was—although she had a pretty good idea. The door closed, and with it, her vision returned to her. Her guess was confirmed when she saw Natsu leaning against the door, but as she looked more intently, she noticed he looked different. His face was twisted in pain and gave off a sense of foreboding. Natsu looked at Lucy and then moved to the washroom, ignoring her as he passed. He slammed the door behind him; the sound caused Lucy to jump.

 _What's up with him? I've never seen this side of him before, he seems… aggressive…_

Lucy slowly tip-toed over to the door that Natsu had slammed shut behind him. She carefully closed the distance between her and the door and set her ear to the wood, listening for anything. She could only make out the sound of water being poured into a container.

 _Probably the wash basin._

It didn't take long for the door to swing open. Lucy stumbled backwards landing on her bottom, looking up at the Captain. Natsu was staring at her quizzically. He had his vest thrown over his shoulder and was wiping the sweat off his neck with a damp cloth. His hair was soaked and dripping down his back. He raised an eyebrow as he made his way past her.

"What are you doing by the door like that? Trying to spy, are we?"

Lucy let the comment slide considering the situation. She managed to climb back to her feet and watched him sit down on his cot. Natsu placed his towel around his neck and put his head in his hands. Lucy walked over and sat down next to him. She watched his figure as he was hunched over; Natsu looked like his was in pain. His face was distorted and Lucy noticed his hands were clenched and shaking.

 _What should I do? He's obviously distressed… but maybe he'd rather be alone…_

Lucy looked away and decided that she should leave the cabin. She started to stand up when she felt a hand grip tightly onto her arm. She looked over to see Natsu looking at her, desperation written across his face.

"Please… just for a minute, stay here…?"

Lucy sat back down onto the creaky cot and awkwardly placed a hand onto his back.

 _Is this too weird? To familiar? I'm really not good at dealing with these kinds of situations._

She waited for him to do something as she continued to stroke his back. The water he had used to wipe the sweat off of him was dripping down his sculpted back and down his chest. His hair was soaking wet causing the streams of droplets to continue unceasingly. It took a minute for her to realize that she was staring. She immediately looked away, her face turning red.

 _I'm glad he can't see my face right now… he'd never let me live it down._

Lucy shook her head to get her thoughts back in order, but Natsu's expression remained the same.

 _Maybe if I talk to him he'll answer…_

"What happened? Are you okay? Is the crew okay? This isn't like you; you're usually so… in control, you know?"

Natsu inhaled deeply and leaned back against the wall. He looked over at Lucy, somberness excreting out of his entire body.

"I always get like this whenever I kill a lot of people." He said placing his palm against his forehead. "I know that's not exactly the attitude a Captain should have—especially these days. One can't afford an attitude like mine… but I can't help it. I don't like taking life."

As he finished he let his hand drop to his side, landing gently onto the cot. Lucy wasn't sure what to say. What could she say without sounding awful or insensitive? The fact stood that people are people and life is precious no matter who you are. However, Natsu had a responsibility to his crew and he had to protect them.

"I love fighting. The thrill of battle is something that I seek in earnest, but I despise and abhor slaughter. When we slaughter, we're no better than those who control this country."

Natsu looked at Lucy and met her gaze. Lucy felt strange. He looked defeated, even though he had just emerged victorious from battle. She sighed.

"Natsu… I'm sorry this is my fault. Somehow they found me and followed us out to sea. I've endangered you and your whole ship."

He just smiled at her sadly and patted her head, ruffling her hair.

"It's ok princess… we get into these situations now and then, but not just because of runaways. Mostly it's because of my charming personality." He grinned.

Lucy smiled back at him when Natsu's countenance changed; it was as if a light went off in his head, his sad smiled being replaced with concern. He sprang from the bed and knelt himself in front of Lucy, which shocked her. His hands grabbed her face and moved it from side to side, studying it. Then he moved his hands to her shoulders combing them over, his eyes focused and intense like she had never seen them before.

"What on Earthland are you doing!?" She inquired sternly.

"Are you hurt, Lucy? You were on deck when we were hit with the cannons. Shrapnel can easily lodge into a person from across the ship. So I'm looking you over to make sure you haven't been harmed."

"I'm just fine. I managed to get into the cabin before anything could happen to me. Speaking of which… I know I froze out there. I'd never been in battle before; it's very different from sword or magic practice at the palace. I was so sure that I'd be able to handle it and fight alongside you… but I was wrong." She said, her voice dripping with remorse.

Natsu took a moment from studying her leg (he had moved on since she had started talking) and looked up at her.

"Lucy, there is nothing wrong with not being able to stomach a battle. All that means is that you have been very fortunate to not have had to learn how to be comfortable beating people senseless or in many cases… dead."

Lucy looked up at his onyx eyes, their original power and liveliness returned to them. Natsu crossed his arms.

"But you obviously have raw talent for fighting, and given the right practice, you'll be able to fight alongside the rest of us. But if you're going to win, you need something driving you. Something you have to protect… or someone." He said to her, with a wink.

Lucy smiled at the Captain, glad that he had gotten over his slump.

"Thanks for staying here with me Luce…" He said wiping the water off his neck. "I really needed to talk it out. And you're right; I'm not like this really. At least not in front of people, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this here moment between us?"

Lucy stood up and looked at Natsu.

"Sure. No problem, everyone's entitled to their secrets and having a few weak moments, doesn't make them weak people."

Natsu smiled and walked to his cabin door.

"I'll be going out to check on the crew and the ship. They need me right now, I need to assess the condition of the ship and then I'll be back later this evening to check on you. You're welcome to wander around until then, as long as you keep out of the way of repairs and work." Natsu opened the door, once again letting the blinding light through, and made a movement to leave but turned back around and looked at her.

"You know… I think I'll just leave the door open… just in case."

Lucy couldn't really make out his entire figure, seeing as the light was making it hard. But his face when he was looking at her was one of true friendship. He then turned around and put his hands in his back pockets and walked out onto the deck.

Lucy watched him through the open door. Something about him was different than when she met him.

 _Was it his personality? His attitude?_

Lucy sat there wondering what it was, watching his movements carefully. He was strong and upright. He protected his crew without fear of death. He was so like Gray, but also so unlike him. His face was softer, seemed to hold a smile better than Gray's. Maybe it was just the sun that surrounded him but he looked like his silhouette was on fire, rising from his back and into the air.

Then again, maybe she just was seeing him in a new light. Walking away, with the door wide-open.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N. Sorry about the timing again… I was in NYC! ... For my grandpa's funeral… so again I hope you'll forgive me. Please let me know what you think, I really appreciate it! (Also if you have any ideas of what you'd like to see let me know! I've been thinking of changing the rating to more of an M rating but if you like it as is I won't change it at all. Personally I don't think that stories need M ratings to be good, but again I'd like your input.)

Chapter 8

Natsu was walking along the shambles of what remained of his ship's main deck. He sighed as he yanked his vest off his shoulders and slowly pulled his arms through it. He walked over to where Gajeel was working, bending steel bars and trying to repair the railing and deck. Gajeel's hand was in the form of a hammer, trying to salvage the wood from the deck that had scattered all over the ship. Levy was next to him, casting solid script magic making wood and steel for the repairs.

"What are we looking at, Gajeel?" Natsu asked, in a matter-of-fact like tone.

Gajeel stopped what he was doing and crooked his neck so that he could look behind. He carefully and thoughtfully stood and faced Natsu with a stern look; his posture suggested he was irritated. Gajeel crossed his arms slowly, but Natsu stood his ground—matching Gajeel's stern face with his own.

"Do you have a problem, Mr. Redfox?" Natsu asked.

Gajeel just stood there and flexed his muscles, arms folded.

"No… unless you count the fact that this ship is in shambles and barely staying afloat! The women's quarters have been completely destroyed and the ship is being held together by a glorified ice sculpture! Does any of that sound like a problem?"

Natsu just continued to stare sternly; the outburst did not faze him at all. Instead, he simply walked toward the hatch leading to the lower decks, allowing Gajeel to stand there in his fury.

"Mr. Redfox, I think you'll understand that I don't deal with attitudes like that on my ship. If you're not going to be helpful and kind to those here… there will be consequences. I'm going below deck to talk to Gray. By the time I come back up here, your attitude had better be changed—or you'll be confined below deck for the remainder of the trip." When the last word escaped his mouth, Natsu flashed Gajeel a serious look; it was a glare full of malice and history that instantly sent shivers to its target.

Gajeel loosened his arms and unfolded them. He sighed and scratched the back of his head, ruffling his long, black curly locks that he had tied back in a ponytail. He closed his eyes and then faced heavenward.

"Sorry, Natsu" Gajeel sincerely apologized. "I just tend to get all riled up when the girls get into danger. It scares me and I suppose I took it out on you… I'm sorry."

Natsu nodded at him understandingly.

"Speaking of which, how is Levy making out?"

"She's making out just fine. I already checked her out and gave her a once over. "

Natsu smiled mischievously.

"Yeah I bet she's making out just fine! OHHHHHH!"

Natsu quickly rushed down below the deck.

Gajeel's face flushed red as he threw some remaining splinters of wood in Natsu's direction.

"YOU ASSHOLE! GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!" He shouted

The profanities and protests still came at him as Natsu was stepping off the ladder down below decks. He walked up to Gray, who was still using his ice magic to create a makeshift wall between the ship and the water outside. It was hauntingly beautiful; the ice looked like glass; glass so clear that you could look into the sea. The light leaking through the ice gave the inside of the hold a romantic kind of feeling. Gray's magic was beautiful, arguably the most beautiful in Fairy Tail—with Juvia's not far behind.

 _Maybe that's one of the reasons they're so perfect for each other._

Natsu finished this thought as he walked up to Gray—who was just finished with his work.

"So, Gray, what are we looking at here?"

Gray turned to face Natsu with a pained face.

"… Is Lucy okay? I saw the railing shatter right before I went below deck."

Natsu shifted his weight and looked Gray over. Gray was standing before him, emotionally distressed and sweating profusely—which was weird, because Gray rarely sweated unless they were sailing close to Tenrou Island.

"She's fine, Gray… I told you that I would protect her at the cost of my own life if needed, and I protected her just like I said I would."

Gray nodded somberly.

"I knew you would, it's just having her back in my life… brings up old instincts… and feelings."

Gray glared at the ground.

Suddenly it dawned on Natsu, whose face was mixed with anger and disgust.

"Y…You're still in love with Lucy?"

Gray grimaced at Natsu's voice.

"Of course I'm not! It's just…"

Gray paused for a moment and looked at Natsu while he placed a hand on the cold ice that was acting as a temporary replacement for the wall.

"You know how I must feel, right? Like what happened with Liss…" Gray cut off when he saw Natsu's face. His expression gave Gray the impression that he shouldn't continue the sentence.

Gray took a moment to evaluate what he was going to say next.

"Even though you've moved on… those special people you once knew still have a piece of your heart. It's not intentional, it's instinct. People don't just walk out of your life and you never have feelings about them again. I love Juvia… there's no doubt about that. I'm definitely going to marry her. However, Lucy was a big part of my life for a long time. Don't worry, I'm leaving her alone but please just re-affirm that you'll protect her no matter what."

Gray turned slightly to make eye contact with Natsu hoping that his feelings would be made clear to him.

The Captain looked him up and down and finally shook his head and sighed.

"Yes, Gray… I can understand exactly how you feel."

Natsu clutched at his chest.

"Nothing like what happened to… her…will happen to Lucy…"

Natsu couldn't bring himself to say her name so Gray waited and stood in silence for a moment until Natsu spoke again.

"Well, Gray, I think I better go talk to Gajeel again. If he's simmered down by now he should be able to tell me how long we've been delayed. I also need to know whether or not we can still make it to Tenrou Island, without having to stop somewhere for repairs."

Gray nodded and placed a hand on the ice he had created.

"For what it's worth, I can keep this ice frozen for about two weeks before it starts to make me tired."

Natsu looked at him one last time before going back above deck.

"Thanks for that, Gray. Also, for what it's worth, I think you two should keep your distance. I wouldn't want to be on Juvia's bad side…"

They both thought about Juvia when she was angry; their faces grew dark causing them to both shuddered in fear.

"Yeah, you're probably right, Natsu. Not only would she kill me, but she'd skin Lucy alive…"

They parted and had one of their telepathic conversations (that only best friends can have) where they agreed never to speak of this ever again.

* * *

Lucy stood in the Captain's cabin, looking out the door that Natsu had left open for her. She wandered up to the threshold and studied it intensely. The wood looked worn and was dented in many places. Along the bottom of the door were cat scratches she assumed came from Happy wanting in and out of the room. She ran her fingers along the outside of the door to see bits of shrapnel embedded into the wood; some of them were fresh and others looked much older.

 _Looks like Natsu has been living this kind of dangerous life for a long time—yet he's still so young…maybe twenty five at the most? He didn't even hesitate to save me or his crew. He truly has nerves of steel and courage that could rival any of the head Royal Guards. Even Silver…_

The more Lucy thought about Natsu's history, the more and more it intrigued her; she realized that she knew nothing about the man who had earned her trust. Here she had poured out most of her life's secrets to Natsu, but ultimately knew nothing about him at all. She pulled her attention away from his door and looked toward the hatch, only to observe the Captain rising from its depths. He looked in a state; his hands tousled his hair as he walked over to the man called Gajeel. They were only talking for a moment when Gray started to emerge as well and joined in their conversation. Seeing him caused a feeling of dread and foreboding to surge through her stomach and then spread throughout her body—ironically, like ice. She clenched her blouse and started to walk backwards when she ran into something warm that gave out a cry of shock. Lucy turned to see Levy standing exactly behind her. They looked at each other for a moment before they both chuckled at their own behavior.

"Hey, Lucy, what are you doing?" Levy asked, with a grin.

"I'm just wandering about the ship I suppose. I have no skills with repair or anything of the like… so I suppose I'm just trying to stay out of the way." Lucy replied, sheepishly.

Hearing this, Levy smiled widely.

"You and me both—all I'm good for is providing the raw materials; they seem to be good there at least for the moment."

Levy looked over to where the men had gathered. They were taking apart her solid script for repairs.

"It won't last forever, you know." Levy said, fleetingly.

Lucy looked back to Levy, who was studying the pile of raw materials that her solid script magic had helped make; the pile was growing smaller and smaller.

Levy sighed.

"It really is true—no magic lasts forever. All it will do is get us home or to the closest port—where we'll have to do all this hard work all over again. Still, it beats sinking to the bottom of the sea. Unfortunately, below deck won't be able to be repaired at all until we get home, or to a port where we can bring the ship up on a beach."

Levy sighed once more and tilted her head; the situation clearly troubled her. However, she only looked that way for a moment before she started to smile at her again.

"Anyway, I came over here to invite you to the crow's nest with Wendy, Mirajane, and myself. During times like these we like to sit up there and watch the men… work."

Levy gave a knowing grin and wink.

Lucy smiled back at her, a little shocked at her invitation. She thought that Levy didn't seem like the kind of girl that would enjoy that kind of thing.

"Yeah, I'll come with you. Sounds like it could be a lot of fun."

Levy grabbed Lucy's arm and rushed off with her toward the mast that lead up to the crow's nest. Levy stepped aside to allow Lucy to climb the mast first. When she reached the top, she met the gazes of two beautiful females. One, a young lady in her early twenties, and the other seemed like she was fourteen or so. They were both sitting on small stools which allowed them to gaze over the railing of the crow's nest with ease. They had their head in their hands with their elbows on the railing. The older of the two was one of the most beautiful women that Lucy had ever seen. She had beautiful white hair and blue eyes with her bangs tied into a pony tail to keep her hair out of her face. Lucy had seen this woman earlier that day when Natsu introduced her to his crew, but she didn't get a close up look to see that she was this beautiful.

Suddenly, Lucy remembered that there was a large man there who shared her features.

 _They're probably siblings then… twins maybe? They seem like they're about the same age._

The other girl had beautiful royal blue hair and brown eyes. She had bangs that caressed her eyebrows and had pulled her hair into high pigtails that gave her the appearance of having ears or horns of some sort. Lucy smiled; she thought the younger girl was simply adorable.

They both smiled at Lucy when the older of the two spoke up.

"Hello, Lucy, I'm sorry that I didn't introduce myself earlier. However, given the circumstances, I hope you'll forgive me. My name is Mirajane Strauss."

Mirajane gave Lucy a genuine smile as Lucy made her way into the crow's nest and found a stool of her own to sit on. Mirajane then looked over to the other girl and gave her an encouraging look. The young girl started to panic, and then jumped from her stool and bowed her head towards Lucy, banging her head against the mast in the process.

"Ouch! Sorry, miss! My name is Wendy Marvel—pleased to meet you!" She squeaked out while she rubbed her forehead.

Lucy chuckled to herself and scooted over to allow Levy some room to sit as well. The crow's nest was large, but was beginning to feel a bit crowded with the four girls there.

"Pleased to meet you all as well; I haven't had many friends in my life, so I'll be counting on you to show me how it works." Lucy said.

Levy clapped her hands and then rubbed them together.

"Now that the introductions are finished, I'd like to start today's activities! Ladies! Who shall we ogle first?"

Mirajane raised her hand eagerly.

"My vote is Gajeel. Right now, he's straining his muscles and working hard…the sweat dripping off him is amazing…" Mirajane trailed off while she was leaning over the edge of the railing.

Levy and Wendy smiled and nodded as they also peered over the edge. Lucy then took her turn and looked over the edge as well. Levy pointed to the dark haired man with the pony tail, confirming which man Gajeel was.

Mirajane was right.

Gajeel was working shirtless, and you could see the piercings that he had all over his body. His sweat was dripping down his back, causing it to glisten in the setting sun. Lucy watched him for a moment, but then her eyes were drawn to Gray; he was standing in his boxers and boots hammering wood into the shattered railing—trying to repair it. He wiped the sweat off his brow with his forearm, causing sweat to drop from his body down to (and staining) the deck. The sight made Lucy look away; it pained her to see him in any way—but this was particularly painful.

Levy noticed Lucy's reaction and sat up.

"Lucy, you okay?" she asked, putting her hand on Lucy's shoulders.

Levy looked down to see Lucy's hands shaking and then looked down at the men. Lucy looked at Gray again and retracted her gaze instantly. Levy followed her every move and then realized that it was Gray that was causing her distress. Levy smiled and patted her arm as she leaned over the edge again.

"YO, GRAY!" Levy shouted and waved to get his attention.

Lucy's face went red as she jumped from her stool and crouched down so that Gray couldn't see her.

"What's up, Levy?!" He shouted back at her.

"You're in the way of us ogling the hot guys on deck! Get your butt out of the way!"

Gray looked up at her dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words would come out. He looked around at the other men on deck, looking for some kind of sign of what he should do.

Natsu and the others shrugged at him.

Gray simply dropped his hammer and went below deck without saying a word.

Mirajane and Wendy both groaned in displeasure.

"THANK YOU!" Levy smiled as she waved goodbye to Gray.

Lucy stood slowly and returned to her stool and sat back down. Levy watched her affectionately and leaned in so she could whisper into her ear.

"I'm sorry; I didn't realize this would upset you. Had I known I wouldn't have asked…"

Lucy just shrugged it off.

"It's okay, it's not your problem and I could have said no. So don't worry about it."

The two girls nodded and chuckled at each other, while they returned to their activities. There were several men that were working on the deck and Levy was pointing them out one by one, telling Lucy their names.

There was Elfman Strauss (Lucy was right, Mirajane and him were siblings after all), Gajeel Redfox (he was the man who kept giving her dirty looks), Mest Gryder, Jet and Droy (they apparently had been with Levy the longest in the guild), and Natsu.

They were all spectacular in their own rights. They worked harder than anybody she'd met at the palace. This way of life was so different and yet she felt like it was more precious than all the jewels in the royal treasury. She'd already fallen in love with it; the freedom, sun, and the unyielding smiles that greeted her. Lucy felt as though she could never return to her previous life, but she knew that she had to return to save her kingdom. Her people needed her; the road was going to be a long and treacherous one, but she could make it with the right help. While she was thinking about all of this, she couldn't help but land her gaze on Natsu.

By this point, the sun had started to touch the sea on the horizon; the sun was doing its best to make the men glisten. Natsu was sanding down the new railings that they had spent most of the day making, while leaning over the railing to make sure that he was sanding with the grain of the wood. His shoulder muscles were bulging with the force of strength that he was putting into his long strokes. About an hour ago he had given up on his vest and it was now sitting beside him. Lucy had watched him most of the day, unable to stop her mind from asking every question that it could think of. Natsu was like an expensive mystery to her, considering that she had given him all her money in her effort to run away.

Lucy sighed as she stretched and stood up; the girls had been up there all day munching on snacks, drinking, and talking about the men aboard the ship—and which ones they preferred. It was obvious that Levy had a preference to Gajeel, but as for Wendy and Mirajane… she couldn't tell.

At last, Levy spoke up.

"Well, girls, I suppose it's time to retire… but our rooms have been destroyed, so we're going to sleep in the forecastle after we empty it out of supplies. Lucy, I know that you've been staying in Natsu's cabin, but you're welcome to join us if he starts to annoy you or… if he gets a little out of your control."

She winked

Lucy rolled her eyes at her new friend and started to walk down the crow's nest instead of responding to Levy's suggestive comment. When she made it to the bottom of the mast, she stopped to stretch and yawn. As she was doing so, the other girls made it down and walked towards the hull of the ship, where the doors lead to the forecastle. Lucy stayed behind to walk around and get the stiffness out of her neck and legs; sitting crouched like that most of the day in a cramped area made her really stiff and sore.

Lucy bent to touch her toes to stretch out her back, and on her way back up, she started to feel light headed.

She staggered backward and fell against the main mast. She tried to steady herself against it, reaching out for something to grab. Fortunately, something grabbed onto her first. A strong hand grabbed onto her arm and pulled her back up onto her feet. The hand moved from her arm on to her shoulders, continuing to steady her until the dizziness passed.

"Lucy, you okay?'

Lucy lifted her head to see Natsu's concerned face an inch away from hers. The close proximity stunned her and rendered her motionless. Lucy froze where she was as Natsu continued to try to speak to her.

"Lucy…? Well um… I guess I'll just take you to the cabin then… sure…"

* * *

Natsu picked up Lucy in his arms and cradled her slim figure against his chest, her slender arms wrapped around his neck. He looked around to make sure that everyone was taken care of before taking her to his room. Natsu looked down at Lucy, who was groaning painfully in his arms. He sighed heavily while he hobbled to the cabin. After working all day, all he wanted to do was take a bath and go to sleep. But, he did promise Gray he would take care of her.

 _She's a lot lighter than I expected…_

Natsu looked at her facial expressions and saw that she was distressed and pale. She looked nauseated and was probably still dizzy.

Natsu's strong nose also picked up the scent of alcohol.

… _Aaaaaaand drunk apparently._

 _Lovely._

The Captain rolled his eyes and marched over to his cabin. Luckily, his cabin door was left open so he didn't have to fumble for his keys while he was walking with her through the doorway. Natsu laid her down on the cot gently. After letting Lucy go, he crossed his arms and studied her as she lay on the cot.

 _Maybe she's not all bad… she's interesting at least._

Natsu smiled and shook his head.

 _I guess I'll draw a bath; I might as well clean up while she's out._

Natsu left her there to sleep off her drunken stupor and headed off to the wash room.

* * *

Lucy was forcefully trying to make herself open her eyes. She dizzily looked around at her surroundings.

 _Am I back in the cabin?_

Lucy propped herself up on one of her arms. In the time that she had been unconscious, the sun had set; she could tell by the windows in the back of the room where the curtains had been drawn. Lucy couldn't see anybody in the room, but someone obviously brought her in here. She tried to remember who it was. She remembered trying not to pass out by the mast outside, and then… somebody picked her up? Yeah…yeah somebody picked her up; she definitely remembered being carried.

But who was it who picked her up?

 _Was it Gray?_

 _Or one of the girls?_

 _Or was it…_

"Natsu?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Lucy rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the heel of her palm; her head screamed at the migraine that was writhing behind her sinuses. She attempted to crawl to the edge of the cot so she could get a drink of water; the movement was excruciating, and she wasn't able to stop herself from falling to the floor—along with many blankets on the cot. Lucy laid there for a moment, before finding the strength to use the storage chest next to her in an effort to stand up. Lucy reeled on her feet before finding the wall to lean against.

 _Damn, I really need to learn when to cut myself off. I guess it wasn't really a good idea to drink all afternoon._

Lucy kept cursing herself on her way over to the Captain's desk, where he always kept a canteen of water on hand. Finally, she made it over and sat down in his chair, looking for that elusive canteen. As Lucy was looking, she thought she heard her name being called. She stopped what she was doing and looked around the room; to her knowledge, there was no one there. It was then she noticed the door to the washroom in the corner.

 _There's light coming from the other side—someone is in there. It's probably Natsu…was he the one calling my name?_

Lucy was about to call out to him, when she definitely heard her name being called again—but it was not coming from the wash room. It sounded like it was coming from the other side of the window.

 _What the… I must be drunker than I thought._

Lucy tripped over herself on her way to the window, only to be caught by a strong pair of arms.

"NATSU!" She screamed, surprised as she swung her arms around and hit a man squarely on the face.

A pair of blue sunglasses scattered across the floor in front of her. It took a minute, but Lucy recognized them.

 _Oh no…_

Lucy cringed as she turned to face the man who still had his arms wrapped around her. The golden haired man clutched her more tightly against his firm chest; he leaned in closer and she could feel his hot breath on her ear. At the same moment, the door to the washroom flew open with a loud bang.

"LUCY! Are you okay!?"

Lucy and the man behind her looked over to see Natsu in the doorway, soaking wet with a small towel wrapped around his waist, panting heavily, with steam coming off his body. His face changed from worry to rage when he saw the man standing behind her.

"Get your damn hands off of her!" Natsu shouted, as he closed the distance between him and the man in a single jump, and gave him a right hook to his jaw that sent him flying across the room.

Lucy cringed as the man's crumpled body slammed against the far wall. It took less than a second for Natsu to grab this man by his collar. Natsu reared his left arm ready to punch him again, when Lucy interrupted.

"Natsu, stop! It's okay, I know him!" Lucy shouted rubbing her temples.

Natsu continued to glare at the man as he slowly lowered him to the ground. Lucy blushed and averted her eyes from the towel-clad man trying to beat up the intruder.

"What are you doing here, Loke?" Lucy asked in pained voice, still trying not to make eye-contact with either of them.

Loke straightened the black suit he was wearing and dusted off his pants. He then stood and walked over to his sunglasses and picked them up, restoring them to their original position.

"You were in a compromising situation, so I took it upon myself to come save you. The next time you get plastered; try not to end up in a man's bed." He said, glaring at Natsu.

"Especially when that man is stark naked…" Loke added.

Natsu was standing before him, still holding onto his towel that covered his lower regions. Natsu smirked, and looked over at Lucy, who was doing her best to stare at the ground.

"Well like you said, these are my private quarters and I'm entitled to dress as I see fit, regardless of who I invite inside. Speaking of which, I don't recall inviting you in, Mr…?"

"Loke, my name is Loke. I'm really just here to make sure she's okay and then I'll be on my way, I promise."

Loke walked over to Lucy and embraced her tightly. Natsu observed this, standing in a puddle of water that was dripping off his body. Natsu grunted in disgust, while splashing water all the way back into his washroom.

"Lucy, I'm just worried about you," Loke said, stroking her hair. "You haven't called on any of us for a while; you were due for a check in."

Lucy smiled at her companion.

"Wait a second!" Natsu's voice came from the other side of the washroom door.

"That guy's one of your celestial spirits?"

Lucy rolled her eyes at his question, causing Loke to smile gently at her.

"Yes, he's my strongest spirit in fact; he is Leo, from the zodiac spirits."

Loke smiled with pride at the praise that his Princess was giving him.

"Well, Lucy, it seems that you're just fine. However, please don't let so much time pass before you call on me again. You know how much I miss you…" He whispered into her ear, pulling her closer to him. He held his position for a moment and Lucy started to move her arms to hold him back. She moved her arms to where his back should have been, but her arms moved through empty air. She opened her eyes, he was gone.

 _I guess Loke must have gone back to the spirit world._

Lucy sat back down on the cot, feeling kind of whimsical.

She smiled to herself.

 _Even though Loke was kind of odd, he always made her day. But more importantly, she was fairly sure that he was the only one who had always loved and looked out for her._

"I thought you didn't have any friends before you got here, Lucy." Natsu said, grumbling through a crack in the door, where he was peeking from.

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him and his behavior.

"I didn't have any human friends, but I did tell you I was a celestial wizard, right? I don't feel like I was hiding anything from you."

Natsu frowned.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter anyway. I just don't like men being so familiar with my guests in my own room."

Lucy smiled at him. Natsu opened the door; he had dressed himself while he was in the wash room… partially.

At least he had pants on.

"I didn't realize you had a bathtub in your wash room… at least, I didn't see one when I was in there." Lucy said, trying to change the subject.

Natsu looked at her with a knowing grin, while he took his seat next to her on the cot.

"I had Gajeel put one together for me; it pulls out of the wall. However, I'm the only one who can heat it up, so nobody except for me really uses it." He responded nonchalantly while drying his hair with a small towel.

Lucy cocked her head to the side staring at him, looking him up and down.

"But I don't get it, what do you mean you're the only one who can heat it up…? How do you get hot water on a ship?"

Natsu looked over to Lucy, straight on, and then he realized something.

 _She doesn't know what magic I use…_

Natsu hunched over and laughed out loud, while Lucy just frowned at him.

"Sorry, Luce, I forgot I've never told you what kind of magic I use—I'm sorry." He said, with tears of laughter in his eyes.

Lucy puffed up her cheeks in displeasure.

"You could at least stop laughing at me, jerk."

Natsu's eyes widened as she spoke that last word and looked over at her.

"My my, Princess… that's not the kind of language a royal should use!" He said, still laughing at her.

Lucy punched him in the arm, her frustration and embarrassment showing in her cheeks.

"I said stop, Natsu!" she said, hiding her face with her other hand.

Natsu chuckled one more time before patting her back in comfort.

"Sorry, sorry. I took it too far; in exchange, I'll tell you what kind of magic I use."

Natsu's hand remained on her back and moved over to her shoulder slowly. He pulled her closer to him so that their legs were touching. Lucy looked at Natsu, his face seemed unfazed. It was as though this man had no self-awareness or shame. Nothing physical made him flush with embarrassment, things like physical contact or people changing clothes just didn't seem to matter.

 _I suppose he is the Captain of a ship… he must have his pick of women…_

In the stories that her attendants told her, while she was still growing up, many captains were womanizers. They would tell her such stories to keep her inside and cautious of the sailors in Magnolia. Sure, there was probably some truth to it, especially considering the sailor mafia was pretty bad, and she was pretty sure that they dealt with human trafficking. But Natsu didn't seem the type of guy who would do that…

… _Right?_

A voice woke her up from her stupor.

"You okay, Lucy?"

"I…I'm sorry. Natsu. I guess I'm just still pretty tired and drunk… I think I need some sleep."

Natsu nodded slowly.

"I suppose I could tell you some other time if you want to slee—"

"—NO!" Lucy interrupted Natsu quickly, waving her hands in front of herself in protest.

Natsu leaned back from Lucy, shocked at her response.

"What I mean is… I'd like you to tell me what magic you use, and then I'd like to go to sleep, if you don't mind."

Natsu beamed with pleasure.

"Okay, sounds good. You see, Luce, I'm a fire dragon slayer. So my magic is entirely fire based, but it holds the characteristics of dragon fire."

Lucy stared, dumbfounded at him.

"I've only read about dragon slayer magic, I thought that it was a lost magic… that it doesn't exist anymore…"

Natsu's body shook as he laughed slightly.

"You'd be right, Lucy; it is a lost magic. The only way you'd be able to learn it now a days is to learn it directly from a dragon." Natsu said this with a smirk, and a sideways knowing glance.

Lucy sat there incapable of speaking, not sure how to react.

"I'm not the only one out there who knows dragon slayer magic either, hell; I'm not the only one on this ship who knows it."

Lucy's eyes grew wide with admiration and wonder as she looked at her Captain.

"Wendy and Gajeel are also dragon slayers, she's a sky dragon slayer and he's an iron dragon slayer. I know a few more, but that's a story for another time." He said, standing from the cot, walking over to his futon on the other side of the room. Natsu laced his fingers together and raised his arms above his head, and stretched his arms and back out.

Natsu inhaled sharply and then slowly released his breath; he turned to face her.

Lucy had to look away; she still wasn't used to half-naked men walking around.

 _A certain lack of modesty seems to be a fairly common occurrence in the Fairy Tail guild. It seems that my years of high society training won't just disappear in a short time…or maybe even at all._

"Hey, Luce."

Lucy raised an eyebrow.

 _He's been calling me that lately… I guess I don't mind, but nobody's ever called me anything other than Lucy._

"I should tell you, we'll only be delayed a couple days on the way to Tenrou Island. The ship is a lot heavier because of the ice, but thanks to Gray's expert craftsmanship, it shouldn't delay us as much as originally estimated."

Lucy grunted in acknowledgement.

"That's good then I guess…" She said, breathlessly.

Natsu started to lay out his futon that he kept folded up in the corner. Lucy watched him and started to clutch her chest. She was still freaked out from the attack on the ship by her family. Sure, hanging out with the girls today took her mind off of it, but now that night was here and things were growing silent…well, it made her uneasy.

Fear started to creep up into her heart again.

Lucy climbed under the covers, to hide the fact that she started to shake from Natsu.

"Lucy? You asleep already?" Natsu asked from his futon

Lucy covered her head with the blanket, signaling that she obviously didn't want to talk.

Natsu frowned at her reaction to his question.

He then climbed out of his futon, and slid it across the floor so that it was parallel with his cot, effectively making it so that he was sleeping right next to Lucy.

Lucy moved the covers from her face and rolled over so that she could see what was going on next to her cot. Natsu smiled when he saw her face, it had shock mixed with what looked like disgust.

"What are you doing, Natsu?" She asked, in a stern whisper.

Natsu didn't answer right away; instead he just climbed onto his futon and made himself comfortable. Lucy gave up trying to understand what he was doing, and pulled her pillow close and waited for sleep to carry her off—praying that she wouldn't have fear-induced nightmares.

Moments passed, and strangely, she started to feel more comforted. Every time she started to feel anxious, the sight of the captain's figure brought her a feeling of calm, like if he was there she'd be safe and taken care of.

"It's okay to be scared, Lucy." Natsu said, in a deep husky voice; he sounded like he was on the verge of sleep.

Lucy pried her eyes open, only to see the Captain looking at her with his. His pink hair was disheveled from lying on the ground; it caressed his forehead and ears and was still slightly damp from the bath.

Lucy frowned.

"Growing up in the palace, I was taught that royalty never shows fear, that it was a sign of weakness." She muttered.

"Lucy, fear is natural. It makes us human, but what makes us more is when we face our fears with conviction. If there's one thing I know about you Lucy, it's that you have conviction and courage. From the moment I met you, I knew you were strong. It takes guts to run away from an oppressive situation—and then steal a ship from a pirate crew."

Natsu grinned.

Lucy gave him a snarky huff and a smile.

"I don't know about that, Natsu. I feel like most of my courage, or whatever you call it, actually come from you."

Natsu shook his head.

"That's not true at all, Luce; you have more courage in your pinky than most people do in their whole body. For instance, what's the real reason you left the palace?"

Lucy looked at him for a moment and then closed her eyes.

 _What was the reason? I told Natsu and myself that the reason was to get away from my father…for my freedom… but was that really the reason?_

Lucy finally found the real reason.

"The real reason I left…was to save my kingdom and my people."

Natsu smiled.

"See, there it is. That is your drive, your motivation. You, my Princess, shall transform yourself into a warrior. An unknown Princess to her people shall return to save them as their Warrior Princess."

A fire burned in Natsu's eyes.

Lucy stared at him for a moment before laughing.

"Yeah, okay! That's preposterous. There's no way I can do that. How would that even be possible?"

Natsu put his hands behind his head and laid on them.

"It's possible with friends, Lucy. We're not going to let you go out and do this on your own. I promise to be with you every step of the way, if you're okay with that?" He asked, gently.

"Wait… do you mean you want to be partners?"

"I mean, I want us to be a team. Going on jobs together and sticking it out together when danger presents itself—which of course means I'll be giving you private lessons in magic and in sword fighting."

Lucy shuffled around under her blanket and moved her arm so that her hand was sticking out from under the covers. She reached her hand out towards Natsu.

He smiled at her and pulled out his arm from under his head and took her hand in his.

"What no contract this time, Ms. Celestial Wizard?"

Natsu gave Lucy a sarcastic grin.

Lucy chuckled lightly.

"I don't think I need one this time, but I'd be happy to write one up for you—if that's what you want. Besides I think that this is the way pirates do things right? A simple hand shake?"

Natsu let her hand go and pulled his blanket up around his chest.

"In this crew? Yes. But most pirates just take what they want in general. However, as far as paper work goes, I think I'll leave that up to you. I don't do well with paperwork; it seems to bring me strings of bad luck whenever I get involved with it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucy said, with a hint of resentment.

Natsu rolled over, facing away from Lucy and shrugged his shoulders.

"Only take offence if you have to, Luce."

Lucy grunted at him in displeasure, and rolled over in her cot.

"Good night, Captain…"

"Good night, Princess…"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A few days had passed and Natsu's crew, true to his announcement, was about a half day away from docking at Tenrou Island. In the last couple hours the heat had risen considerably, and most of the crew had switched into swimwear. Mirajane had been kind enough to lend a bikini top and jean short shorts to Lucy. She said that they "suited" her for some reason. The clothing made Lucy blush, she had never been allowed to wear anything like this before, and it made her feel embarrassed.

 _Good thing my dad can't me see this, I think he'd have a stroke._

"Hey, Lucy!" The Captain's voice rang from the bowsprit, which pointed like an arrow in front of the ship.

Lucy turned to face him, he was grinning from ear to ear, straddling the bowsprit and waving at her to come over and join him. Lucy smiled to herself as she climbed onto the shrouds and managed to land securely onto the bowsprit. Natsu stood and allowed Lucy to walk tight-rope style up to him. Lucy looked at the Captain, and then again at the piece of wood that they were both standing on.

"We seemed to have reached an impasse, Captain. I don't think I can make it past you without falling to my death in the ocean."

Natsu gave Lucy a cheeky smirk, picked her up by the waist, and hoisted her above him.

Lucy cried out in shock.

"NATSU!"

She frantically grabbed onto his shoulders and closed her eyes. She heard a laugh above her head, and slowly pried an eye open.

Natsu had placed Lucy securely in front of him and was giving her the corniest smile she'd ever seen.

"As if I'd let you fall to the depths of anything, my dear lady, what kind of gentleman would I be if I did?"

Lucy frowned and turned around so that she wasn't facing Natsu and sat down on the bowsprit.

"I wasn't aware that pirate captains particularly prided themselves on being gentlemen."

Lucy felt Natsu sit down behind her.

"Look there, Luce, that's Tenrou Island…we'll be there before the sun sets…" Natsu's voice trailed off unexpectedly.

Lucy looked behind her to see what was wrong. Natsu's face had a look of forlorn and somberness.

 _I thought he'd be excited to go home…_

Lucy suddenly became very aware of Natsu's hands. One of them was on her waist, keeping her secure, while the other was resting on his leg.

Lucy stared into the ocean to hide the blood rushing to her cheeks.

 _I've never had a man act so casually around me, or treat me like this… even Gray put his duty first and always treated me like royalty… or at least he feigned as much._

"Natsu?" she asked.

"Yes, my lady?" He said, looking down at her.

"What are the plans once we get to Tenrou Island? As far as I'm concerned, that is."

Natsu scratched at his head for a moment.

"That's a fair question. To be honest, I'm not sure. Most of it is really up to you. All I know for sure is that we're going to be landlocked for a least a month while the ship is being repaired. So I was planning on giving you magic lessons and teaching you sword play during that time… if that's alright with you?"

Lucy smiled.

"Of course it is—we agreed on this earlier, right?"

Natsu nodded enthusiastically.

"Yup, but the first thing they'll probably do is move you into the girls' dorm at the guild. Most people live in either the boys' dorm or the girls' dorm, but some people have their own houses like m…"

Lucy wasn't listening anymore.

… _That's right; I won't be sharing a room with Natsu anymore. It's not like I'm attached to him or anything, but still, the thought makes me feel…uneasy_

"Lucy, you okay? You seem to have spaced out there for a second."

Natsu waved a hand in front of her face.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm fine, I was just thinking about living in the girl's dorm…"

Natsu looked at her face; it seemed to be contorted and upset.

"You don't want to live at the girls' dorm? I suppose we could make other arrangements… it might take a couple days, though. So…at least try to deal with it until then?"

Lucy leaned her head back against Natsu's chest and closed her eyes.

"Thank you; I'd prefer as much independence as possible. I don't do all that well with rules anymore; I'd prefer as little of them as possible. I don't think I'd do well with things like curfew and schedules to use the bathroom or the shower…"

Natsu looked down, Lucy was asleep.

 _Maybe the information was too much? I'd better leave her; we'll have a lot of work to do once we dock._

Natsu sat there with his arms around Lucy, enjoying the breeze of the ocean and the splash of the salt water against the hull. Her head bobbed from side to side as the ship swayed with the waves.

The Captain smiled.

 _I guess I really don't mind her… for a royal and a run-away._

* * *

"…cy…. Lu…. ake… Lu…up…. LUCY, WAKE UP!"

Lucy jolted forward and nearly fell off the bowsprit; in fact, she would have if it weren't for Natsu holding onto her firmly.

"What is wrong with you, Natsu?! I almost fell off!"

Natsu smiled.

"We're about to dock."

Lucy turned around and let out a gasp. What was before her was an island with a large winding tree that reached up to the heavens. The branches fanned out across the clouds, and foliage surrounded the whole island. It looked like something out of a story book.

Lucy turned back to Natsu; he was beaming from ear to ear.

"What do you think of our home?"

"It's gorgeous! I already love it. One day I'd like to have my own little house here…"

Natsu continued to smile; he scratched his head and blushed slightly.

"I'm glad you like it… if you work hard enough in the guild, you'll be able to get enough money to build a small house… that is, if you'd like. It's hard, and you have to have permission, but it is possible."

Lucy laughed at his awkward response.

 _He's kind of cute when he's fumbling for what to say, especially when he's usually so good with his words._

Natsu frowned, then stood and grabbed Lucy by the waist, throwing her over his shoulder.

"NATSU!"

"I'll teach you to laugh at me, missy!"

Natsu stomped all the way down the bowsprit.

"Mr. Redfox! Mr. Fullbuster! Get this ship in the dock, and then find Juvia to help you bring it up on shore for repairs!"

Natsu threw Lucy off his shoulder and placed her down on the main deck.

"Get this ship in port!" he said stomping off towards the hull and took hold of the steering wheel.

"Now, Lucy! Watch as your Captain brings this ship to your new home!"

The crew began running around, furiously getting the ship ready to dock. They dropped the anchor and the sails had been tied up.

"We're only seconds away from being home, Fairy Tail!"

Natsu enthusiastically punched his fist into the air.

"AYE, SIR!" The crew chorused back in response.

Lucy stood at the front of the ship watching all the members of the guild. Levy and Gray were standing on either side of Natsu, as his first mate and navigator. The crew gently and expertly brought the ship against the dock of Tenrou Island. Looking at the dock, Lucy noticed there were two larger ships that were already there. One looked massive; parts of it were made of steel. The Happy, in comparison, was less than half its size. This other ship had an equally massive thunderbolt on the side and one the sail. Not surprisingly, this ship bore the name of "Thunder Legion." The third ship was on the shore getting repaired, but it was beautiful; it seemed to be made out of some sort of red wood.

 _Maybe sakura trees?_ Lucy thought.

This third ship also had silver railings and a Heart Kreuz Cross on the sails. The name on the side read: "Titania, Queen of the Fairies."

Natsu had mentioned that his wasn't the only ship, and that his was small in comparison. However, Lucy hadn't expected the other two to be so much more…well, more.

 _I wonder if there are any more ships in the fleet…_

The grumbling behind her woke Lucy from her stupor. Natsu was moaning something about a 'Laxus' and him being a 'pain in his ass'. Lucy looked over to see Gray rolling his eyes at Natsu, as he told him to 'grow up.'

Lucy laughed to herself, just as Gray noticed that he and Natsu were being watched. Gray met Lucy's eyes and then immediately looked away, blushing as though embarrassed. Lucy broke eye contact as well and tried to distract herself by admiring the ships in harbor.

Wendy was dropping the large wooden ladder to the dock with the help of Elfman and Mirajane. As soon as the ladder touched the dock a tall, strong looking woman in armor with beautiful red hair stormed on board.

 _Is every woman in this guild more beautiful than I am?_

Lucy noticed that on her armor she bore a Heart Kreuz Cross on her breastplate.

 _She must be the captain of the other ship… I can see why they'd call her the Queen of the Fairies._

"GAJEEL! GET OVER HERE!" The red-haired woman shouted at the top her lungs

Gajeel wondered over in a manner that suggested he was most annoyed.

"I see your ship, Erza. I promise I'll start on it before I start on this one… seeing as you've been waiting." He said, looking at Natsu.

Natsu clenched his teeth, but simply nodded.

"Very well…" Erza stated, crossing her arms.

"I expect you there at first light, seeing as nighttime is almost here…"

Erza turned her heel to leave when she spotted Lucy leaning over the edge of the railing.

"You there, who are you?"

Erza narrowed her eyes.

Lucy stood up in a panic, and looked over at Natsu for some sort of nonverbal sign as to what she should do. All she got from him were the disconcerting words which he mouthed:

'You're on your own.'

Lucy threw Natsu a nasty glare before turning her attention back to Erza.

"I… I... I'm a new recruit that the Captain here was kind enough to bring back."

Erza stood there a moment, looking her over.

"What's your last name, Lucy?"

 _Crap!_

Lucy looked at Natsu, again looking for direction.

 _I hadn't thought of a new last name to give anybody!_

"McKnight… her last name is McKnight" Natsu said.

 _...what…?_

"Uh…yeah." Lucy started hesitantly.

"My last name is McKnight. I found Natsu back in Magnolia and I expressed my desire to join a guild. He's helping me to help me join Fairy Tail…" Lucy trailed off in her lie, hoping that Erza would buy it.

Natsu came up behind Lucy and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Erza stood there, glaring at the two, trying to understand.

Finally, she smiled.

"I don't really care one way or the other; anybody is welcome here in Fairy Tail. Everyone here is my family. I apologize for any rudeness you may have encountered on the way here and also from my own behavior." Erza stated calmly as she bowed slightly.

"In the spirit of new friendship, allow me to have the pleasure to be the first one to welcome you to Fairy Tail!" The beautiful red head smiled gently, as she gestured towards the ladder leading the way onto the Island.

Lucy smiled at her as she looked around the ship. She was greeted by smiles from everyone, including Gajeel.

 _So even he can smile…_

Lucy, then, felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Natsu beaming at her with his arm outstretched, waiting to escort her.

"My lady…" He bowed.

Lucy griped onto his arm tightly.

"Good sir." She curtsied.

The two walked down the ramp together, followed by Erza and the rest of the crew. Lucy's eyes glowed with wonder as the sun set, allowing the island to glow with fireflies along with bioluminescent animals and plants. It was as though magic flowed freely through the greenery.

Lucy's attention was then brought to a small elderly man at the end of the dock. He had a white shaggy goatee and was in the last stages of balding. His eyes were kind and his smile made her feel comfortable, like they were old friends.

"Hello there, young lady! It looks like our Captain Natsu has brought us a new member of our family!" The man said joyfully, reaching his hand out to shake hers.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Lucy." She said, gripping his hand

"Well, Lucy, It's nice to meet you. I'm Makarov, the master of Fairy Tail."

Lucy looked over to Natsu who just smiled back at her.

"Ah, Natsu. I'm terribly sorry for taking you away, but it seems that there's an urgent matter to attend to." Erza said gently behind them. Natsu turned to face Erza whose head nodded in the direction towards the gigantic ship docked at the harbor. There, a huge man with golden hair and headphones stood. He had a face that was stern and a lightning shaped scar covered half of his face, going down the center of his eye. He was glaring at the two Captains, obviously waiting for them to conclude their festivities.

"Uhggggg…" Natsu groaned.

"What does that bastard want now?" He snarled to Erza under his breath.

Natsu turned back to Lucy, with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry, Lucy, but it seems as though my attention is demanded elsewhere, but I'm leaving you in the very capable hands of Gajeel and Levy."

Natsu nodded in their direction. Levy shook with joy at the prospect, while Gajeel groaned in displeasure.

"They'll show you around the place and get you settled in; I promise we'll meet up later on."

Natsu removed Lucy's hand from his arm and walked away with Erza slightly behind him. The two of them together looked odd. It seemed like there was way too much power in one spot, like a red super giant star being kept in a leather bag.

 _See you later, Natsu…_

"Hey, Lucy! Let's get going! I want to show you the guild and its members!"

Levy grabbed hold of Lucy's hand, waking Lucy from her stupor and started pulling her along a large pathway leading into the forest. Gajeel followed closely behind the two of them, his arms folded and making the occasional grunt while Levy was speaking. It was spectacular; they showed her everything. There was the guild hall, outside baths, and even a small town where older members of the guild had built houses for their families. Most guild members lived in the dorms; however, members with families were allowed to have households on the island. Since there wasn't a whole lot of room on the island, people had to get special permission to build a house from the guild master.

 _There goes my dream for my own little house…though I suppose it'll happen someday._

There was the occasional member who lived in the safe houses as well, running them and sending jobs to the island.

While the Captains and First Mates were welcome to live in the dorms, most of them lived out of their ships, with the exception of Natsu. According to Levy, Natsu and Happy lived in a house on the island. When Lucy asked her why he had a house, Levy went silent and merely said,

"He just does, I guess the Master must favor him I suppose…"

But it was obvious that even Levy didn't believe what was coming out of her mouth.

* * *

Lucy finally made it to her room at the dorm. Levy had dropped her off with strict instructions that she'd be back in an hour to take her to the guild hall for a proper initiation into the guild. Saying, "It only hurts a little." with a sarcastic grin, handing Lucy her room key. Room 112, this was going to be her home for a small while.

 _At least I have the room all to myself._

Lucy took a moment to take in her new home. The "dorm room" was really more like an apartment. When you walked in, you were standing in the living room that had a sliding door on the opposite side that lead to a balcony. To the left was a very small dining area, barely big enough for a small table and a couple of chairs. Directly in front was a small kitchen with vintage appliances. If you went down the hall next to the kitchen and dining area, there was a large bedroom to the left, with a washer and dryer stacked on top of each other in the nook outside the bedroom. Directly across from her bed room was the bathroom, again small, but enough for one person. There was a second small bedroom or study between the master bedroom and the bathroom. All in all, it was a charming place that Lucy loved.

Lucy grinned to herself.

 _Maybe I'll stay here a while after all._

When she went to her bedroom she saw that somebody had already brought in her things. Lucy didn't bring a whole lot, but the wardrobe she was wearing the night she met Natsu was folded up nicely on a dresser in the corner of the room, along with what looked like some of Levy's and Natsu's clothes.

… _I don't think I'll be able to fit my bust into any of Levy's tops…_

 _I'll have to thank them both anyway, and I'll be able to get by for a while wearing Natsu's clothing._

 _At the very least I can put on some clothes that don't make me look like I'm going to the beach._

She sighed at the pathetic pile of her only belongings. Going from riches to rags wasn't glamorous at all.

"I think I'll need to buy some things in town next time I go… I really shouldn't have given Natsu all my money." Lucy groaned, reaching out for the white cotton shirt Natsu had given her.

"I can have Virgo bring you some clothes if you need them. Princess."

Lucy gasped and turned around to see Loke sitting on her bed, testing its softness.

"I'd prefer you wearing those clothes to the captain's sweaty rags, as well as the bra that you're wearing into public." He said making a disgusted face at the cotton shirt Lucy held in her hands and at her bikini top.

Lucy frowned at her friend.

"It's not a bra! It's a bikini top!"

Loke shrugged.

"Same difference, but a bra covers more than that bikini does. Your family would have a heart-attack if they saw you."

Lucy glared at him.

"Loke, you really shouldn't be here. Men aren't allowed in the ladies dorm, I don't want to get in trouble…"

"But you're joining a guild! This is an exciting day; I thought I should be here to congratulate you on behalf of the Zodiac spirits."

Loke looked rather longingly at Lucy.

"Fine, you can come. I guess they're going to find out what kind of magic I use anyway. There's no sense in hiding it."

Loke jumped from the bed, clapping his hands.

"YAY! I'm so excited! I'd like to make some new friends as well."

Lucy smiled at her spirit friend, when she heard a knock at the door.

"Lucy! Let's go! We can't start the party without you!"

It was Levy's voice.

 _Start the party? It was already past nine o'clock, and they want to start?_

"Alright, I'm coming out."

Lucy opened the door to see Levy, Wendy, Mirajane, and Erza standing there in party dresses with eager grins.

"Oh, uhh… well thanks for picking me up. May I introduce my Zodiac spirit, Loke?" Lucy gestured behind her, unwilling to delay the introductions and furthering the awkwardness.

"Zodiac spirit…?" Wendy stated quizzically cocking her head.

"Ah! You must be a Celestial Wizard!" Levy exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"Yes, he was really excited to meet new friends. I explained that he wasn't allowed in the ladies dorm, but he just couldn't wait. Please forgive his rudeness."

"Don't worry about it Lucy." Erza smiled.

"We're all family here, and just so you know, anybody is allowed in the dorm with the presence of a ship Captain."

She winked.

"Well then there's no problem, right, Lucy? Let's go!" Loke smiled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the threshold.

"But, I don't have a party dress like you guys… I'd feel really out of place."

"Don't worry about it Lucy." Erza laughed

"I brought a dress for you to wear."

Erza used her magic and pulled a beautiful blue party dress out for her.

"Erza! Thank you so much!" Lucy said as she was handed the dress.

Erza nodded in appreciation as Lucy ran off to change. When she re-appeared, she was beaming from ear to ear turning around in a circle to show the girls and Loke her new dress.

Loke gave a wolf whistle as he admired her.

"You look wonderful Lucy, but let's go!" He shouted as he grabbed hold of Lucy's arm.

"I'm going to get so wasted!" He said gleefully, dragging Lucy behind him.

"Save me some cake!" Erza called after them

"Well, we're not being very good hosts, we should be the one taking her to the party." Wendy giggled, chasing after them.

Erza waved her hand in front of her dismissing their banter.

"Alright, I suppose we should go after them."

* * *

The guild partied well into the night, and Lucy got to meet new members of the guild. Everyone from the other crews were there, apparently they have a party like this every time they got a new member to the guild.

Lucy also finally met Juvia, and she found that she liked her a lot. Despite being in a relationship with her childhood sweetheart, Lucy couldn't find it in her heart to hate her. She was kind, generous, and full of love for her fellow guild members. Everyone in Fairy Tail truly believed that the members were a family and that the guild was their home. All in all it was an outstanding night. The members liked Loke as well; they all thought it was fascinating that Lucy was a celestial wizard. Apparently most of them had never met one before. Lucy was already in love with her new home and family. The only person that Lucy couldn't find there was Natsu. It was strange; he had promised that they would meet up later.

 _Maybe he fell asleep?_

Lucy was walking along the road back to the ladies dorm; Levy and Wendy had already returned long before Lucy had left the guild hall. Loke went back to the celestial realm after getting so drunk that he'd passed out on Elfman's lap. Lucy brushed it off as nothing to worry about until she found Natsu's silhouette standing off in the distance.

Lucy couldn't see him very well, so she stepped off the path to get a closer look at him. He was standing next to a campfire that was on the banks of a small river. Happy was curled up beside the fire with his belly facing skyward, trying to warm it against the heat of the fire.

 _What's he doing?_

Lucy walked closer trying to keep as quiet as she could.

He just stood there staring at the water, Lucy wasn't sure for how long; she'd lost track of time. He was pacing along the river bank occasionally stopping to stare at his reflection.

 _He obviously wants to be alone… I'll just go back to the dorm._

Lucy turned to walk away when a voice stopped her suddenly.

"Lucy, I know you're there… come over here."

Lucy cringed at being found out as she slowly turned to face him.

"… Sorry for snooping, I was just leaving."

"It's fine… I did miss your party so I suppose you could call us even." Natsu said, with a pained grin.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Lucy asked, walking over to both Natsu and the campfire.

"Ah…. I was just remembering some sad things. Unfortunately, this is the anniversary of the day that my father, Igneel, left. Not really an excuse for missing your party, but I hope you'll forgive me."

"Of course I will, you should have just told me." Lucy said, sitting down next to the fire.

"… I suppose it's not something I like to talk about." Natsu stated morosely, as he stared at the fire.

 _I want to ask him more about his father and Igneel, but I think now probably isn't the time or place… I guess this was why he spaced out on the ship though._

"I met a lot of the guild, including Juvia."

"Yeah? And what do you think?"

Lucy closed her eyes and folded her arms as she thought about it.

"She's impossible to hate, a real classy woman. And you can tell she loves Gray with all her being."

Lucy smiled woefully, as she opened her eyes to see Natsu staring at her from across the fire.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like her. What about you and Gray? You two getting past the awkward stage?"

Lucy blushed and looked away.

"I think it's better, at least I can be in the same room with him now."

Natsu smirked back at her.

"I'm glad it's getting better. However, it's getting late Lucy; let me escort you back to your dorm." He stood, brushing off the dirt from his trousers.

He walked over to Lucy and reached down to help pull her up.

"… alright, are you sure?" She asked, grabbing his hand.

"Yeah, it's okay. I'll see you tomorrow, on the first day of your lessons. He said, with an avid grin.

 _Something's off about Natsu today… he was such a gentleman this morning… but ever since we got to the island…_

Lucy nodded as she followed behind Natsu, who led her safely and soundly to her new home.

 _I suppose he'll tell me when he's ready._


	11. Chapter 11

A/N Soooooooo Sorry! I've been sick all month and had to travel while sneezing, coughing, and spewing various fluids. Please forgive me! I promise to post the next chapter sooner. PLEASE leave me a comment on what you think. :) (I liked this chapter a lot.)

Chapter 11

 _Master Makarov,_

 _I find myself unable to conduct myself in a satisfactory manner when it concerns the plan I had for mentioned in my previous letter. However, I understand the seriousness of the situation. I formally ask that Laxus and Erza carry out the mission alone. They have brought this to my attention in our captains meeting shortly after arriving on Tenrou Island. I have become too emotionally compromised, and feel I am a risk to the success of our most important mission to date. If necessary I will hand in my resignation as captain, and name Gray Fullbuster as my replacement. Please consider these things when making your decision._

 _Captain Natsu Dragneel_

* * *

 _Captain Natsu,_

 _I understand your situation perfectly. I also understand your reluctance to participate in our plan, in order to protect the princess identity and also use her presence as advantageous in our upcoming war; we must keep this away from the guild for now. I formally reject your resignation and you will continue your captain's duties as we discussed, with the princess in your care. I do not envy you Natsu. I know that you are still recovering after what happened to Lissanna, but this is too important to leave to anybody else. A gift horse has landed in our lap and we must see to it that we use it appropriately. We will be able to save hundreds of lives. When we compare the need, it's obvious what must be done. The princess trusts you and Gray. I will not allow Laxus and Erza to do this by themselves._

 _Please endure it._

 _Master Makarov_

* * *

 _Master Makarov,_

 _I accept the facts. I will do what needs to be done. I just hope someday the guild and Lucy will forgive me._

 _I shall endure._

 _Captain Natsu Dragneel_

* * *

Natsu was staring at the magical piece of paper that he used to write letters back and forth between the captains and Master Makarov. It was a clever device. It sort of worked like a mirror linked to other mirrors. Whatever you wrote magically showed up onto the receivers' piece of paper. It even had memory so that you could look at all the letters that had been sent to it. It was made by Blue Pegasus archive magic. Their master Bob had sold them to Master Makarov. Fist as a business move but secondly as an emergency contact and gathering device, to keep like-minded guilds connected. Especially since most of them had to disappear off the map. There were several guilds that had them; the ones Natsu knew about were Blue Pegasus, Fairy Tail, Saber Tooth, Lamia Scale, and Mermaid Heel. Master Makarov had given them to his guilds captains so that they could always stay in contact at all times.

Natsu had been keeping the master informed of the entire situation via this piece of paper. When Natsu had landed, the master instructed him to tell the other captains of the situation that they were in, only the necessary parts that is.

They didn't know much, basically that Lucy was a princess and she was running away from her family, and that the Master had some plan going on with her. Oh, and that it was Natsu who got suckered into being her body guard and it was his job to keep her safe.

Natsu groaned.

 _Laxus was so pissed… I've never seen him go off like that. Sure, I'm not his favorite person, but geeze…_

It had been two weeks since they landed back on the Island, and he'd been doing everything in his power to avoid Lucy. Not like it had been easy either. She'd been to his house looking for him, and to his ship. The Island wasn't very big on its populated side, so Natsu had resorted to setting a camp up in the woods on the other side of the island. It was cozy enough; it had a cot and a desk. Happy slept on the pillow he'd laid on the ground. He'd been hiding here ever since the third day they had been docked.

The first couple days he'd met with Lucy to start her magic training. It was fun. Lucy learned really fast and showed great potential. Natsu had a great time teaching, and he felt like he and she were becoming quick and close friends.

Which was why he had to leave.

 _I don't deserve to be her friend, not after what I've done to her._

Natsu slumped in his chair and put his hands over his eyes.

 _I can't go on pretending that I don't care about what happens to her. I know that the master knows how I feel now, but he doesn't want to change his mind. He's still going full throttle on this plan… Maybe what I need to do is convince him to do something different. If I don't, I have no idea what will happen to Lucy. In the mean time I have to go back… I promised Lucy I'd help with her training._

He'd put Erza and Cana in charge of her schooling, Erza in swordplay and Cana in holder magic. But leaving was only making his position more and more strenuous.

 _Damnit, I can't do this forever, I'm only making myself more suspicious._

Natsu scratched at his head, grimacing.

 _I have to go back… tonight… If I don't I'm sure I'll get a letter from Master Makarov telling me off._

Natsu looked back at his magical piece of paper, and began to write.

* * *

 _Master Makarov,_

 _I hope to apologize for my childish disappearance. I will return promptly tonight._

 _Captain Natsu Dragneel_

* * *

Natsu took one last look around his tent.

 _Time to pack_ _._

* * *

Lucy glared at the woman in front of her. The scarlet-haired woman was staring back at her mockingly.

"Come on Lucy, I know you're better than this." She gloated

Lucy clenched at the two-handed, leather wrapped sword handle she was gripping on to. She wiped her brow on her now stained, white cotton sleeve.

 _Damn, it's hot here!_ She groaned to herself

Lucy and Erza had been training for most of the day. Erza liked to start at sunrise and finish at sunset. Anything else was, as she liked to say, "For men and sissies." Lucy trained like this ever since Natsu went… somewhere. Lucy liked Erza, but as a trainer she was a monster. Lucy finally understood why she was the only woman captain in Fairy Tail.

She was a monster.

She told Lucy that nobody had ever fully finished her training, except for one person.

It was Natsu.

But she said the only reason that he finished was because he was more of an endurance freak than she was. Erza said that he'd train for days without stopping, and he'd only stop because he'd be on the verge of death or because his body would give out.

When Erza told the story, she looked proud. Especially when she told her that it was his fierce training regimen that made him the youngest captain that Fairy Tail had ever known. A title that he stole from Laxus, another reason the two never seemed to get along.

"If you're not going to attack, I will!" Erza shouted, making Lucy focus. Erza closed the space between the two of them in a single bound, as she swung her sword down hard.

… _Seriously?_

Lucy found what was left of her strength and blocked with all her might.

"The enemy will not wait for you to regain your breath! Fight like your life depends on it!" Erza instructed.

 _Why was Erza's training so much harder than Silvers?_ Lucy thought as she pushed hard on the handle of the sword, trying to push Erza back.

"Erza! That's enough! She's only been doing this for a few weeks. You're fighting her like she's on a captain's level. Can't you see she's exhausted?" rang Levy's voice from a nearby bench. Natsu had asked her to keep an eye on her training, both physical and magical. He knew Erza and Caanna could get carried away. Levy was there to act as a cheerleader and as a voice reason.

Erza looked at Lucy, whom after training all day had turned pale. She was starting to look sickly, but she was pushing through it. However, Lucy's eyes still burned with passion. Ready to go on if she was told so. Erza smiled as she eased up on her sword.

"I'm satisfied with today's work. Lucy you should go to the outdoor bath, to help your muscles recover from their workout."

Lucy was about to protest when Levy grabbed a hold of her arm.

"That's a great idea Erza, but first let's get take you home and get you something to eat, so that you don't pass out in the bath." Levy grinned.

"That sounds good. Erza, if you're free, you should meet up with us at the baths later." Lucy invited.

Erza hoisted her massive sword over her shoulder and turned to face Lucy.

"Yeah, I think I'm overdue for a relaxing bath with friends." Her eyes glistened as they stared off into space, allowing her mind to get carried away.

"Uhh okay, we'll be there early I the evening. See you there!" Lucy waved as Levy helped her walk home.

One thing that Lucy noticed was that Erza tended to get carried away when she was passionate about something. Also, she was surprisingly feminine.

During the course of her training, she'd found out that Erza enjoys cake and sweets. As well as plays, acting, dancing, and Erza was schooled in all the areas that royalty were. She became sort of a role model for her.

"Hey Lucy, while you're eating. Do you mind if I go down to the docks to take Gajeel his lunch?" Levy asked.

Lucy shook her head.

"No I don't mind, but what if we made lunch and ate it with him. I haven't really gotten a good chance to talk to Gajeel, I think I'd like to get to know the man you admire so much Levy." Lucy teased as she elbowed Levy in the side in a joking manner.

Levy pursed her lips and punched Lucy lightly on the shoulder.

"Don't make fun of me, but yeah, I'm sure he'd love that! I've been wanting you two to get to know each other."

"Hey you made fun of me and Natsu on the ship Levy. If you can't take it, don't dish it out." Lucy shrugged

Levy smiled deviously.

"Oh I can take it, as long as you're prepared for the crap-storm I'm about to throw your way."

Lucy sighed.

"It's not like that at all. Besides, I'm still trying to figure out where I stand with Gray. I made the mistake of telling Juvia about our romantic history…" Lucy rolled her eyes.

Levy inhaled sharply through her teeth, like she was witnessing someone get injured.

"… How'd that work out?"

"Lousy… Let's just say that we're not allowed within a hundred feet of each other until she deems it okay. Apparently I have to prove that I'm no longer in love with Gray… but until a little over a month ago, I thought he was dead! Or at least when I was a kid he got drafted into the army and I never saw him again. When I asked about him to the local authorities, they said he died. It was rough, but I made it through okay. And now that I think about it, I'm mostly just relived he's alive, regardless of who he's with." Lucy smiled softly.

"Well, this is just speculation but. Maybe Gray faked his death so he could be free?"

Lucy gave Levy a quizzical glance.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what if he wanted to do something other than be a soldier? The Royal Army doesn't just let people go. He probably did it to join Fairy Tail."

"Huh, yeah the timeline is about right. I suppose if I was in his situation, I'd… runaway too…" Lucy stammered as she stared at the ground

Lucy walked up to her door in the girls' dorm.

"Let's hurry, I doubt Gajeel likes to be kept waiting." Lucy smiled at Levy as she unlocked her door.

Levy rolled her eyes.

"You have no idea…"

* * *

The day was coming to a close when Natsu finally made it home and had unpacked all his things.

Natsu's house was more like a small cottage. It was made of stone and had a small fireplace. Its kitchen had a small wood-burning stove. In fact all of Natsu's appliances were powered by steam or fire. It had three bedrooms and a single bathroom. He'd made all his furniture himself. From Happys' scratching post to Natsu's bed, everything was made was something that he'd carved out of wood or stone. He'd gotten a lot of practice helping Gajeel repair the ships.

 _Gageel's going to kill me for skipping out on helping him… Erza's not exactly someone you want to keep waiting…_

Natsu groaned as he collapsed face first into his bed. He was exhausted after carrying all his camping gear halfway across the island. Happy refused to help too, so that just made extra work for Natsu.

 _I'm exhausted; I want to take a bath and go to sleep. Too bad there's no firewood for my bath… maybe I'll just go to the bath house._

Natsu turned his head to look at Happy who had fallen asleep on his pillow.

Natsu glared.

 _Traitor..._ he grunted as he shoved Happy off his bed.

Happy hissed and bolted out of his room in a huff.

"Yeah, there's more where that came from you traitor!" came Natsu's angry muffled voice as he shouted into his bed covers.

Natsu laid there for a moment until he found the motivation and strength to force himself out of his bed.

 _Uggg I'm getting to old for this…_

Natsu lazily pushed himself off his bed, only to land disgracefully onto his floor.

 _I don't want to go out… and do… things…_

He eventually got disgusted with himself enough that he got up and started walking himself out the door.

"Happy, don't ruin anything while I'm gone! If you eat everything in the pantry again, I'm going to make you sleep in the corner!"

Natsu heard Happy's displeased growl as he left the house.

* * *

Natsu was in the changing room at the bath house; he'd finished putting his clothes securely away and was tying a towel tightly around his waist.

 _I haven't been here in a long time… I think I needed this._

Natsu grabbed a second towel before heading outside. The outdoor bath wasn't especially large, but it was nice and well maintained as far as bath houses are concerned. They put magical herbs into the water that relieved fatigue, healed wounds and relaxed your muscles. Not to mention all the magical bioluminescent plants that surrounded the stones at the water's edge that provided a natural and calming atmosphere. Natsu inhaled and exhaled deeply as he slowly walked into the water, leaving his towel at the entrance of the bath. He waded into the deep end of the pool and found a relaxing spot that would allow him to sit. Natsu closed his eyes and allowed everything from the shoulders down to be massaged by the warm gentle water. When Natsu opened them he noticed something.

 _There's nobody else here… I guess it's late. Not that unusual, but it sounds like there's nobody in the woman's bath either._

Natsu smiled and closed his eyes again.

 _The whole bath to myself… aweso…_

His thought was cut off when he heard woman's voices on the other side of the wall.

 _Lucy?_

It was Lucy, Natsu could recognize her voice. He could also hear other women with her. Sounded like Erza and Levy.

 _Great… I'm not ready to be found out and end up talking to Lucy right now. I'd better keep quiet and get out of here as soon as possible._

Natsu was quietly and stealthily starting to make his way back to the other side of the bath.

"So Lucy, did Natsu say anything about where he was going?" Erza asked

Natsu stopped dead in his tracks.

 _They're talking about me? Crap!_

Natsu sat perfectly still in the water as to not make any noise. It didn't take long for him to hear the girls getting into the bath.

 _I'm so glad Juvia's not here… I'd be found out immediately. Still Erza will know something's up if I move around too much. Her senses are way to sharp for me to be able to get out of here._

Natsu slowly moved into a more comfortable position so that he could wait them out.

"You're the one who saw him last. You'd know better than I do."

"Strange… I thought it was weird that he asked me to train you, especially since he promised you that he would. That's so unlike him."

 _Great, I soooo shouldn't be hearing this._ He grimaced.

"He did take his camping gear. Maybe he went to train on his own? Either way Gajeel was super PISSED that Natsu bailed on him like that."

 _Whatever, I'll just kick his ass if he has anything to say about it._

Erza sighed.

"His disappearance sure is going to make the ship repairs take longer than expected. Good thing Laxus left a couple days ago, otherwise I think he'd have burned the island down hunting Natsu."

 _Whatever, I'll kick his ass too._ Natsu pouted.

"So what _is_ the relationship you and the captain have Lucy?" Levy asked.

… _oh no._

"Well…"

… _please no!_

"I guess…"

 _NOOOO!_

"I'd say we are good friends. Or at least that's the impression I got before he high-tailed it out of here."

… _what?_

"That's it? After spending weeks in the captains room? That's all you have to say?!" Levy sounded upset.

"Yeah I guess. I mean we were strangers up until we met in Magnolia. I'm also not sure if I actually like him or not. He can be kind of childish, and I'm not sure what his real personality is like…"

Erza burst out in a hysterical laughter.

"You're talking like he's got some sort of dark personality. I've known Natsu since we were children, and I can tell you with certainty. That he is no more than an overgrown child, with a horrific ability to push himself beyond physical limits."

 _HEY!_ Natsu almost stood to defend his honor that was being sullied only feet away.

 _Calm down Natsu… you just have to wait this out…_

Natsu could hear Lucy laugh at Erza's comment.

 _Great, Lucy thinks I'm a joke…Well… maybe that's for the best._ He slouched silently

Natsu slumped into the water so that the only parts of his body remaining above water were his nose and his eyes.

"Well at least he's kind and above all else, he treats women with respect."

"Yeah, that's what I like about the Fairy Tail men." Levy sighed

"What are you talking about Levy?" Erza asked

"Huh? What do you mean?" Levy responded confused.

"What about Gajeel? Your first experience with him he literally attacked my ship and took you hostage!"

 _I remember that… ass._

"Ahhh, yeah…. I suppose. But he sure turned out okay… right?"

"Ehh, He's still rough around the edges, but he's turned into a nice guy."

"So Erza, how's Jellal?" Levy inquired

 _Jellal? I think I remember him._

"Jellal?" Lucy asked

"He's been Erza's crush since they were kids."

"Oh my gosh that's adorable!" Lucy exclaimed

 _Oh yeah…_

"He's okay, he's been working on a job the last couple months in another continent. So I haven't seen him much."

Natsu started growing irritated as their conversation continued into the night.

 _Damnit! They've been in almost as long as me, how much longer are they going to stay here?_

Finally it sounded like the girls were leaving. Natsu waited until they were all gone before he made a move to stand up.

 _Finally! Time to go!_

Natsu stood up carefully and wadded his way over to the shallow end to get out of the bath. He grabbed his towels and tied one around his waist and flung the other over his shoulder. He made his way stealthily over to the exit, making no noise whatsoever. He wasn't sure how but he'd made it to the men's dressing room without being found out. (Specifically by Erza…) Natsu hurridly got dressed and bolted out of the bath house before the girls could finish getting dressed.

 _Finally I'm out and in the clear._

He thought as his wet hair dripped water down onto his clean shirt. He turned towards his house and started walking down the small path into the forest.

"su!"

Natsu turned and looked behind him.

 _Is someone calling my name?_

"Natsu!"

He saw a small figure running towards him, but it was hard to make out who it was in the dark. Even with his enhanced dragon eyes.

"Natsu! Wait!"

… _Lucy…_

Natsu sighed and cringed at the same time.

 _Today has been one hell of a day. All I wanted was a nice relaxing bath and maybe a drink before bed…_

He thought as Lucy's figure became clearer in the moonlight shining through the trees.

"What's up Lucy?" He asked putting on a smile.

"Hey I… Why are you all wet?" she asked.

"Oh uh, I was taking a walk after a quick shower." He lied, ruffling his wet hair, causing a few droplets to fall to the ground.

Lucy kind of shuffled awkwardly and looked at the ground.

 _Crap… this is going to be awful._

"So uh… where have you been? You promised to help me learn how to fight and help me with my magic. But then you just kind of bailed… did I upset you or something?"

" No Lucy, it's not that. It's…"

"Because if I did I'm sorry!" She said getting closer to him.

Natsu grabbed her shoulders, and looked her in the eyes.

"It's okay Lucy, It's not you."

Lucy went silent as she stared back at Natsu. Natsu wrestled with all the things in his mind that were causing him stress. He couldn't tell Lucy what was going on… but he also didn't feel like he could really be her friend keeping these things from her. And he did feel like they were growing closer.

Natsu looked away.

"It's not you Lucy… it's just…"

He looked back at Lucy, the woman who had entrusted her entire future to him. He couldn't lie to her, again. Her eyes held nothing back; they had complete trust in him.

 _You'll just have to forgive me for now…_

"Lucy… I can't talk about it, but I promise to tell you someday." He said looking away from her, as though he was too ashamed to look her in the eye.

Lucy cocked her head.

"Are you okay?"

Natsu looked back at her and gave her a somber smile and ruffled her hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, I don't know how to make this up to you. But to start how about you come over and I'll make you some tea?"

Lucy smiled as the moonlight hit her face and made it look like she was glowing.

"Sure."

Natsu nodded towards his house.

"Alright, come on." He said grabbing her hand.

"What, you mean right now? It's kind of late." She said looking towards the girls' dorm.

Natsu turned back around and raised an eyebrow and gave her a cocky smile.

"What? All of a sudden NOW you're apprehensive about sharing a room with me?"

Lucy blushed and headed down the path with him.

Natsu glanced over at Lucy, she seemed on edge.

"Relax Lucy, It's not like that. I'll take you home later."

Lucy looked up at him.

"Oh I would never think you'd try anything. I know you'd be a gentleman, I'm not afraid."

Natsu pouted as he continued down the street.

"Lucy, I hope you know I'm the exception… not the rule."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Natsu paused for a moment and mulled over what he was about to say.

"Lucy, as long as you're with me, I promise to be whatever you're comfortable with. However, not all men are as chivalrous as I am. There are plenty of men out there who'd be more than happy to take a virtuous princess and sell her to the highest bidder." He said giving her a side glance.

Lucy stared at the ground.

"I know, I had that drilled into me as a child. It's one of the reasons my father never told the outside world of my existence. But I know that the world is harsh and cruel, I guess I just feel comfortable with you."

She smiled up to him.

Natsu continued to pout.

"Even I have my limits Lucy…" He said opening the door to his house, holding it open for Lucy.

"I'll keep that in mind." She said as she walked into the captains' household.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N Here it is! As promised it was sooner that the last post, but still not as soon as I would like it. Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 12

Natsu sat in his old wooden rocking chair, nursing his beer that he held onto loosely. He was watching Lucy sleeping soundly in his bed; her hair was disheveled and slightly damp from her bath. She was silently breathing into his pillow, occasionally letting out a soft sigh. Natsu let out a sigh of his own; it was really hard for him to get through the night because he felt like he was lying to Lucy every time he looked at her—but what could he do? The Master had ordered him to stay with her and protect her. On top of that, Natsu had promised the same thing to Gray. Natsu had even signed a contract preventing him from leaving Lucy in the care of others.

 _That's it, I might not be able to change the future… or the masters plan. But I can protect her from everything that comes her way. Looks like Lucy's not the only person that's going to have to do some training._

Natsu scratched at the back of his head with his free hand.

 _Looks like I'll have to hurry and fix the ship so I can get off the Island._

Natsu sighed yet again, and stood to leave the room. The realization hit him that there was no one he could confide in about this particular predicament—not even Gray.

 _Especially Gray… he'd kill me if he found out. I guess that's just one of the responsibilities of being a Captain._

Natsu groaned, and looked down at Happy, who was curled up in some blankets Natsu kept by the foot of the bed.

"What would you do, Happy?" Natsu muttered softly under his breath. Happy let out a yawn and rolled back over in his pile of blankets. Natsu smiled to himself and staggered out of the room. He went to his kitchen table (where he kept his pen and notepad) and started to write.

 _Lucy,_

 _Sorry about this, but I had to get going early this morning. If you need me, I'll be at the docks helping Gajeel repair the ship. If you're hungry, there's food in the fridge—help yourself to anything. Don't worry about locking the door on the way out. Good luck with your training today!_

 _Natsu._

He looked at his note one more time before tearing it from the note pad and placing it on the table so that it could not be missed. Natsu rubbed at his eyes, yet another night without sleep.

 _This girl is causing my sleeping patterns to become very irregular. I should have just taken her home like I said I would. But what was I supposed to do? She fell asleep, and I didn't want to wake her up._

Natsu's hand slid down his face; it was impossible to go to sleep now, so he might as well go down to the dock and get an early start on the repairs. Letting out a huff, he started getting ready to go; he looked back at his house one last time before setting out.

 _The sooner the ship is repaired, the better._

* * *

A few sweltering hot weeks passed and soon both ships were deemed sea-worthy. Natsu, Gajeel, and Elfman had worked endlessly trying to get them back out to sea. Erza's ship, 'Titania' had been repaired for a while now, but she had decided to stay and help Lucy with her training until Natsu's ship was finished with its repairs.

Once in a while, Erza would take Natsu's place with the repairs so as to allow him to train Lucy—as he had promised. Erza also said that learning how to fight different styles and people is essential. During this time, Lucy and Natsu's friendship seemed to grow, and soon Lucy felt herself looking forward to the days that Natsu would teach her. Not that Erza was a bad teacher, but Natsu was more… gentle. He was a good teacher; he listened to Lucy's questions, stopped her when she made mistakes, and was more focused on technique. As opposed to Erza, who was more focused on power and strength.

Loke and Cana also were helping Lucy with her Celestial magic. They were trying to make her pool of magic larger and more controlled, so that she could summon more than one spirit at a time. Her progress in this area was slow and grueling compared to her swordplay training. Luckily, Levy was there for emotional support. They were all kind and patient with her. Loke even told Lucy:

"Lucy, as long as you're making progress, there's no reason to be upset with how slow it's going. It's when there isn't any progress—then you'd have something to be worried about."

The thought was comforting to her and she appreciated their kind step-by-step way of teaching her. But Natsu still remained her favorite teacher.

* * *

The days continued to fly by at an alarming rate until Lucy found herself once again aboard the 'Happy,' sailing away from Tenrou Island. It had taken a few days after the ship was finished to load it with supplies, and for the members to select jobs so that the Captain could chart his course. As soon as the ship was done, the Captain basically ran out of the Island. It was almost like he was in some sort of hurry. Lucy had tried to talk to Natsu alone since she crashed at his house, but he'd been so busy with repairs and preparation for the voyage that he really hadn't had time for her outside of her lessons.

 _There's something that's been bothering Natsu since we got to the Island… I really want to talk to him about it. It's probably the reason he took off when we first got there. I just want to make sure he's okay._

Lucy finished her thought as she watched the Island slowly fade into the horizon. It was a hot day; she could feel the sun beating against her skin and clothing, but it didn't bother her as much anymore. Back on the Island, it was hot every day. Lucy eventually just got used to it. Especially after Wendy had given her a magic potion to take so that she wouldn't get sunburned. Lucy lifted her face to the breeze and let it play with her hair.

 _It's nice not having royal duties, so I can enjoy the sea like this. I want to enjoy the sun and breeze like this every day to make up for all the time I spent locked inside my room. I'm so happy; I thought I'd never be able to see the ocean before meeting Natsu. I can see why he likes it here; it's probably the purest form that freedom can take._

Lucy smiled to herself as she tucked her hair behind her ear. She let her mind run wild, reflecting on her experiences since she ran away from the palace. She thought of her and Natsu's fateful encounter, meeting the crew, and making friends here aboard the 'Happy' and on Tenrou Island.

Most of all, she thought of Natsu and how he'd run around the ship—like when he'd hang from the shrouds and climb up and down the bowsprit.

Lucy laughed to herself.

 _Erza was right, he really is just a giant child._

But still, Lucy couldn't help but become fond of him.

"Hey, Lucy!" rang Levy's voice.

Lucy turned to smile at her friend, breaking her peaceful moment to herself.

"What's up?" Lucy asked.

"Let's get your stuff all settled in the girls' cabin below deck. We saved you a spot on the top bunk. I'm your bottom bunk roomie." Levy said with a large grin, using her thumb to point at herself.

"Oh, yeah I guess that's right." Lucy said, with a hint of disappointment.

Levy smiled mischievously at her reply.

"Of course, none of us would be upset if you decided to take the Captain's cot on this journey as well." Levy smiled knowingly and narrowed her eyes.

Lucy huffed.

"I'm not a child; I don't need to sleep next to the Captain out of selfish reasons. And also, I've told you it's not like that."

Levy shook her head.

"Whatever you say, Lucy—just don't be upset when you find yourself missing his company. And just so you know. it's not like sharing a room is uncommon here. I stay with Gajeel sometimes and I also know that Juvia and Gray are living together already."

Lucy stopped in her tracks as a chill ran down her body and settled in her chest.

"What…?" she whispered back to Levy.

Levy's eyes widened.

"I thought you already knew… I'm so sorry Lucy. I had thought that Gray or Juvia had told you. It's not like they're trying to keep it a secret." She said mournfully.

"No I didn't know, but I guess it's only natural. After all… they are engaged." Lucy said, flashing a fake smile.

Levy frowned in concern for her friend.

"Well not officially, but by the time we get back, I'm sure they will be."

"What do you mean? Juvia isn't on board." Lucy stated quizzically, looking around the ship just to make sure she hadn't missed something.

Levy raised an eyebrow at her.

"Neither is Gray—he didn't come with us."

"Wait then, who is acting first mate?" Lucy exclaimed in shock, turning her attention to the hull, trying to find Gray in his usual spot.

Levy shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine. He's yet to name an acting first mate.

Lucy frowned as her mind wandered to thoughts of Gray.

 _Gray… That's right. He was getting married. Training the entire time on the Island had distracted me from that fact…_

In fact, Lucy couldn't remember really seeing them at all after the first week she was on the Island.

 _Was I really that busy? Or did they go somewhere?_

Lucy still wasn't sure how she felt about Gray. When people asked her, she just said that he was just happy he was alive. But the truth was she only felt okay when she was being distracted or when she was with friends.

But when she was alone in her dorm room, she would find herself in a spiraling depression that would eventually lead to crying herself to sleep.

Lucy sighed.

It was hard. The only times that she didn't cry herself to sleep was when she found herself sleeping next to the Captain, or when she fell asleep at his house that one time after going to the bathhouse.

"Huh…" She said, thinking out loud – finally realizing the connection.

 _It's probably because I don't like to cry in front of others that much… right?_

Lucy had made the conclusion and closed the door to other possibilities.

 _I wonder if Levy ever cries in front of Gajeel…_

 _Gajeel…_

Lucy's eyes widened as she realized she'd missed something that Levy had mentioned.

"…Wait a second, you spend the night with Gajeel!?" Lucy shouted in a whisper to her small blue-haired friend.

Levy just gave her a knowing smile and a shrug.

"Enough about me, it looks like Natsu's about to name his acting first mate." Levy said, pointing past Lucy.

"W… what?" Lucy stammered, snapping out of her train of thought.

Lucy turned around, following Levy's gesture to witness the Captain hanging from the shrouds of the ship, calling everyone to gather. Lucy then looked down at Levy and narrowed her eyes.

"Don't think this conversation is over just because it's being interrupted."

Lucy pointed directly at Levy's nose, while Levy let out a sigh and shook her head.

"Whatever you say, Lucy."

Lucy huffed in a satisfied manner as she turned her attention back to the Captain.

"'Happy' crew, gather 'round!" Natsu shouted.

Lucy looked over at Levy for some kind of direction; in return, all she received was an eye roll and a gesture that suggested for Lucy to follow her. Lucy gave in and followed Levy to where the Captain was waiting. Everyone had gathered, causing the deck of the ship to suddenly get very crowded. Elfman was standing next to her and accidently pushed her with his elbow.

"Gah!" Lucy exclaimed as she toppled over, landing disgracefully on the deck.

"Lucy! I'm so sorry! Here, let me help you up." Elfman apologized.

Lucy took his hand and straightened herself.

"It's okay Elfman, don't worry about it." Lucy smiled as she patted the dust off her legs.

"It's okay to ignore him, Lucy, he's still has a lot to learn when it comes to coordination and women." Came Mirajane's voice from behind Elfman.

Elfman was about to protest when the Captain's voice interrupted him.

"As many of you know, Gray is staying in Tenrou Island for this voyage—which leaves me an officer short."

Natsu jumped down from the shrouds.

"I can't afford to assign somebody who already has a position aboard this ship to be acting first mate, so I've taken great consideration as to whom I'm going to name as my acting first mate."

Lucy looked around the crew trying to guess who it was going to be.

 _The obvious choice was Gajeel, but he's still finishing up small repairs on the ship. So it can't be him. Levy would be the next choice but she's the Navigator. After them, it would probably be Mirajane, Elfman, and Wendy—in that order. But Wendy was the doctor; and Mirajane and Elfman didn't exactly strike her as people who'd want to be first mate._

Lucy looked over to the brother and sister. Mirajane was holding back laughter while Elfman was red with embarrassment, trying to cover his face. Lucy closed her eyes and sighed.

 _Who the acting first mate will be is anyone's guess._

"That's why I've decided to appoint Lucy McKnight as my acting first mate." Natsu said, gesturing towards Lucy.

Lucy stood frozen unsure of what just happened. Her mind went blank, unable to process what was happening in front of her.

"I've personally overseen her training in swordplay, and in her magical abilities. She is, in my opinion, the equal of anyone here for this position. In other regards, I trust her with my life and with my ship." He said, firmly looking at Lucy again.

Lucy still couldn't move. The rocking of the ship was all she could focus on right now. Time seemed to stand still, until Levy jabbed her fiercely in her side.

"Ah!" Lucy said, finally being awoken from her comatose state.

"Move it, he's waiting for you!" Levy hissed at her from under her breath.

Lucy stumbled over her first few steps, looking back at Levy who was smiling at her, giving her thumbs up. Lucy straightened herself and looked forward at Natsu, who was still waiting with his hand outstretched.

 _Here I go._

Lucy forced her feet to move toward her Captain. Everyone's eyes were on her, they seemed so happy for her. Like Levy, they were all smiling and encouraging her with their eyes. Even Gajeel was smiling slightly as she walked passed him. After what seemed forever, she finally reached Natsu. He took her by the hand and guided her to stand next to him. Lucy looked around at the crew and gave a worried smile. She felt Natsu's hand grab onto her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze.

"Alright, people, let's get back to work. Levy, take the wheel. I need to converse with my newly appointed first mate."

"Aye, Sir!" The crew chimed back in unison.

The crew scattered as they went back to their daily routines, most went below deck to prepare supper. Lucy watched them for a moment before Natsu woke her from her daze.

"Come on, Luce. I have to relay your duties. So let's go talk in my cabin." He said, grabbing her arm and pulling her along with him.

"Alright…" she mumbled hesitantly.

* * *

Once inside the cabin, Natsu sat her down at his desk and locked the door behind them. Lucy was watching his every move; her face had a look of permanent shock plastered to it. Natsu went to the back of his cabin and pulled the curtains open, allowing a flood of light to illuminate the room. Lucy waited for him to turn around, but he just stood there staring out the window. Seconds turned into minutes, and pretty soon, half an hour had passed.

Natsu was still staring out the window.

 _What's going on? Is Natsu okay?_

Natsu continued to stand there, hands on his hips, leaning slightly onto his right leg. Lucy looked around awkwardly waiting for something to happen. Eventually she decided to break the silence.

"So uh… I don't really have any experience sailing or steering a ship, but I…"

"Listen, Lucy." Natsu cut her off.

Lucy went silent, waiting for Natsu to finish. He slowly turned around to look at her.

"You don't have to worry about much; this is really just a formality. Levy and Gajeel can take care of most of the work, they already do anyways."

Natsu took a seat on the chest next to his cot.

Lucy's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Then, why am I here? Why did you name me acting first mate?"

Natsu looked at her without a trace of emotion on his face.

"…To keep you close to me."

 _What?!  
_

Lucy's face flushed red with embarrassment.

"What! Why?!" She demanded, trying to look anywhere but at Natsu.

Natsu continued his dead-panned stare.

"Lucy, your time with me and the guild is going to get more and more dangerous from here on out."

Lucy watched as he came over and kneeled down in front of her.

 _What is he doing?!_

Lucy was bewildered, staring into Natsu's black eyes. They had passion and determination raging inside of them. She'd never seen that look in anyone's eyes—not even Gray. The way Natsu was looking at her made her feel uncomfortable, and unsure of what to do. She tried to look away but it was impossible to break eye contact.

"Natsu, what are you talking about?" She whispered breathlessly.

"This trip is going to be very dangerous, and I'm not sure I can protect you like I had promised to Gray."

There was a hint of bitterness in his words.

"That's why we're making a trip, just to two of us. After we're done in Fiore, you and I are going to Caelum—I'll be doing some training and so will you."

Natsu placed a hand on Lucy's arm.

 _Caelum? I remember that Fiore and Caelum had had border fights over some of the islands between the two countries. Also, their monarchy had lost a lot of their power and was mostly run by the republic and senate._

… _Why are we going there?_

"Caleum?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, I trained there as a kid after Igneel left and before I made it to Fairy Tail. There's a lot of natural magic there." Natsu said, smiling at her.

"There are a lot of volcanoes and earthquakes as well as crazy storms. It's beautiful and dangerous and the training there goes a lot faster, because of the overwhelming amount of magic power that the Earth is pouring out."

Natsu's face got really excited and lit up when he was explaining the love he had for this country.

"Yeah okay, but why am I coming with you?"

"We both need to train for the future. Listen, Lucy, the world is going to be at war and the guilds are going to be caught in the middle of it. I'm going to lead my friends into the hellish fire of the battlefield, but you Lucy…" Natsu stopped there, gripping her arm tighter, his face turning bitter.

He stood up and turned around.

"N…Never mind, Just understand that you're not allowed to leave my side. I will protect you; you don't have anything to worry about." Natsu gritted, clenching his fist.

Lucy looked up at him.

 _What is all this about?_

"Natsu, I think I understand. I also realize there are some things you're keeping from me… but that's okay. I don't need to know everything right away." She said, flashing her most sincere smile.

Natsu looked down at her flabbergasted, unfolding his arms.

"You… you know? And you're not mad?"

Lucy rolled her eyes at the Captain.

"Of course I know you're keeping something from me. You might as well have announced it upon docking at Tenrou Island… running off like that and then avoiding me, pretty much spells it out."

Natsu clenched his teeth and glared at her.

"Sorry if I'm an open book." he hissed.

"Yeah it's pretty bad when I, a girl who's had one friend her entire life, has enough social awareness that even I could figure that out." She teased.

Natsu continued to glare at Lucy as she mocked him mercilessly.

"OKAY! I get it! Geeze, woman!" He shouted, as he grabbed a hold of her wrists in an attempt to end her antics.

 _Gah! Natsu!_

Lucy's heart was racing; it felt like it was trying to jump out of her chest. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she felt her breathing hasten.

"I can see there's no sense in keeping anything from you." He smiled wryly, leaning in and staring her dead in the eyes.

 _Uhhhh Natsu? You…you're so close!_

She thought as she clenched her eyes closed and turned her face away from the Captain.

 _What is he doing?! He does know I'm a Princess…right?_

Lucy could feel Natsu's breath against her forehead, causing her hair to flutter across her eyes.

"Curfew is in 4 hours, until then you can do as you please. Just make sure you get some dinner before heading to bed." Natsu reminded her gently, taking his hands away from her wrists.

"Don't be late." He stated finally before turning to leave the cabin. He gave her one last wave, his back still facing her as he left through the door.

Once he left, Lucy was there alone breathing heavily. She slowly raised her hands to her chest and inhaled deeply, trying to slow her heartbeat. If it had been anyone else, Lucy would have jumped them and held her knife to their back.

 _Well, I suppose that is how it happened the first time we met, but what was that?!_

She'd never seen that version of the Captain before. He started out as protective, and then changed so awkwardly, and then he left just as intensely. Lucy wasn't sure whether to feel safe or scared. She slowly removed her hand from her chest and walked to the door.

 _Maybe I should talk to Levy about this and see what she thinks._

Lucy opened the door and walked onto the deck to observe Levy chasing Elfman around with a large mallet that she had obviously stolen from Gajeel. The other members of the crew were cheering her on as Elfman left a river of tears behind him.

Lucy frowned and let out a massive sigh as she slumped her shoulders.

 _Then again… maybe not._

Lucy ignored the rowdy bunch and walked passed them and headed below deck to the girls' cabin. It was a very small room. There were two sets of bunk beds and two trunks to share between two girls and that was it, but at least it was way nicer than where the men had to sleep. It was not uncommon to see one of the men sleeping on the ship's deck at times, and it was hard to blame them. The alternative was sleeping in the ship's hold, ensconced in a hammock.

Lucy looked around and saw a blue paisley, quilted pull-string pack tied to one of the bunks that had 'Lucy' embroidered in pink on the outside. The other girls had similar bags on their beds. All embroidered with their names.

Lucy smiled to herself.

 _Levy must have quilted these by hand._

Lucy climbed up on the top bunk and sat down to open up her pack. Lucy loosened the string, anxious to see her first-ever present from a friend. Lucy's stomach fell as shock and horror filled her body at witnessing the contents of the pack.

 _Panties… they're all panties! And they're… SEXY!_

A fountain of sexy lacy panties fell out of the pack and onto Lucy's bunk. Shades of red, pink, purple, and black covered her bed.

Lucy sifted through the contents.

 _That's ALL that's in here, NOTHING else? Levy! WHAT THE HELL!?_

Lucy's vision was filled with panties and Levy's face giving her that stupid knowing smile.

 _Damnit, Levy!_

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose as she looked around at the mess. She was too tired to do anything about it right now, so she simply jumped down to bolt the door –she didn't want anyone to see what had happened. Lucy quickly made her way back to her bed and plopped her head down on her pillow and closed her eyes. She took one last look around at the scattered panties, glared, and then fell asleep.

* * *

There was a knock pounding impatiently at Lucy's door, that shocked her awake. Lucy bolted up in bed, adrenaline rushing. Lucy looked around; the panties were still strung about her bed.

 _Damnit!_

Lucy silently cursed Levy as she frantically started shoving the lacy atrocities into her bag, when another impatient knock came at her door.

"Uhh…just a second!" She squeaked nervously.

Lucy quickly finished shoving the rest of the panties into her bag, just as the bolt moved to the unlocked position and the door cracked open.

"Lucy! I don't like to be kept waiting on my own ship!" Natsu's voice bellowed into the room.

"Uhh, sorry. What's up?"

Natsu looked around suspiciously.

"You okay? You seem startled…"

"Well yeah, you woke me up from my nap. It wasn't exactly pleasant." She admitted.

"Also, how'd you unlock the bolt?" She asked, brow furrowed.

"Oh, sorry about that, I have a set of keys to every door on my ship. Besides that, Why are you in here?" He asked, leaning against the door frame.

"I was just getting settled in, like you said, it's going to be a long trip. I just wanted to get an early start."

Natsu frowned at her.

"You missed dinner." He stated, disapprovingly.

"Oh! Sorry! I guess I was more tired than hungry. It's okay though, I'll be fine until breakfast tomorrow."

Natsu frowned even harder.

"That's not all I meant when I asked 'Why are you in here.'"

Lucy frowned back at him.

"I'm sorry; I don't understand what you mean…"

Natsu walked over to her bunk and offered his hand.

"I mean, I told you not to leave my side."

Lucy grabbed his hand and jumped from the top bunk into his arms.

"You're staying with me." He told her, still gripping her tightly against his chest.

Lucy felt herself blush, and she slapped at his arms.

"I'll have you remember, Captain, that you are in the presence of a Lady! And you should behave as such!"

Natsu released the Princess, but not before giving her a corny smile.

"You are correct; I seem to have misplaced my manners, my lady. Here, allow me to grab your bag for you." He bowed, taking her bag into his hands.

Lucy's body went rigid with fear.

 _The panties!_

"N..n..nnn no that's fine I can take it!" She shouted, as she lunged for her bag and stole it from Natsu's hands.

Natsu stared at her for a moment before walking to the door.

"You coming, Princess? Or, am I going to have to carry you?"

Lucy walked up to him.

"I'm perfectly capable, Captain Natsu." She snapped as she walked past him.

Natsu bowed low.

"As you wish, your highness."

Lucy turned around to give him a spiteful glare, and then continued walking.

Natsu watched her climb the ladder to the main deck, still unsure of how she'd managed to intertwine their destinies so thoroughly. The Captain laughed to himself as he grabbed hold of the ladder.

"And so it truly begins."


	13. Chapter 13

Here's the new edit! Sorry about the first draft.

Chapter 13

Natsu was enjoying the evening breeze of the ocean as it ruffled through his pink locks. The moon shone above reflecting peacefully in the waves. They had already been at sea for a couple weeks, and it seemed like the Captain couldn't get a moment's peace to himself. Tonight was the first night that he'd been able to enjoy like this. Natsu loved the sea, but he felt like he hadn't really been able to appreciate it as of late. He leaned over the railing and smiled to himself as he rubbed the stiffness out of his shoulder. It had been a long day; Gajeel had stepped in for him with Lucy's lessons. In contrast to Natsu, Gajeel was harsh, condescending, and ferocious. For that reason, Levy had taken it upon herself to encourage Lucy and reprimand Gajeel. Natsu was busy trying to compensate for Gray's absence. Lucy did help him out a lot in relaying orders and keeping morale high, but she was still inexperienced and he'd been relying a lot on Gajeel and Levy to fill in the gap. They were helpful and Natsu really appreciated the help he received from the whole crew. Natsu stretched his arms out above him and let out a powerful yawn. Natsu grabbed onto the railing for support afterward to allow the dizziness from his yawn to pass.

 _I'm so tired… I didn't realize it until just now._

Natsu looked around at his ship; it was empty except for him and Happy. The cat was dozing silently on top of one of the cannons on the deck. Natsu shook his head and laughed softly at his companion's antics. Natsu then leaned back and rested his elbows against the railing, still enjoying the sea breeze against his face. He lifted his head and looked into the night sky.

Since he'd met Lucy and Loke, the stars had a very different meaning to him. Natsu had always looked at stars and admired them for their beauty and consistency. When he was young, Igneel had taught him their names and how to use them to navigate. As a child, he enjoyed riding on Igneel's back as they soared in the night sky, getting as close to the stars as anybody earth-bound could. Igneel would only ever fly at night because he didn't want people to find them. But Lucy had taught him so much more about them. Like how they lived in a separate world that humans would describe as a heaven, and how they watch us on earth just as much as humans watch them. It kind of made him feel embarrassed that some constellation could have been witness to some of his more embarrassing moments, but something Lucy told him brought him comfort.

"Natsu, wherever you are, I can always find you using my power. So if you ever get lost just look up and ask for me."

Somehow he would find himself thinking about Lucy as he stared at the stars. Natsu continued to look at them, wondering which constellations were friends to Fairy Tail, and which ones were foes; that is, until a voice broke the silence of the sea.

"Natsu?"

The Captain blinked and slowly lowered his head to find Lucy standing in front of him.

"Oh, hey, Luce. What's up?" He asked politely, standing up from his slouched position on the railing.

Lucy shrugged, walking up to the railing herself.

"You weren't in the cabin, so I came looking for you."

Natsu walked up to her and patted her head softly, giving her a wide grin.

"Thanks for looking out for me, but I'll be there in a second. Go ahead and wait for me back in the room."

Lucy pouted and leaned onto the railing. The moonlight lit up her frame causing her skin and hair to look white under its glow. The breeze played comfortably with her hair, making it look like spider silk.

"You always say that, and I always end up falling asleep before you come back inside."

Natsu raised an eyebrow at the Princess.

"Are you saying you miss me and need my presence there while you fall asleep?" He teased.

Lucy's face twisted in fury as she punched him hard on his arm.

"No! What I'm saying is that you're so loud when you come in, that you wake me up every time!"

Natsu raised his arms and stumbled backwards. Lucy turned to look at him in the eye.

"If you're going to insist on me staying with you in your quarters, the very least you could do is not wake me up in the middle of the night!"

Natsu folded his arms disapprovingly.

"You never told me that! I was trying to be quiet so that you could sleep!"

"Yeah, well, you aren't!" She snapped.

Natsu placed a hand on his face trying to cover his embarrassment.

"Sorry, Luce, let's go to bed." He mumbled, looking through his fingers at her.

The Captain gently lowered his hand and offered it to Lucy.

Lucy rolled her eyes and took his hand as they walked back to the cabin together.

"I'm glad you've come to see reason, Captain."

A cold evening breeze suddenly caught Lucy in its path and caused her to shiver. This alarmed the Captain and he looked down to see if she was alright.

"Are you cold, Lucy?"

"A bit, but I'll be alright once we're inside and I'm under the blankets."

Natsu looked down, even more concerned.

"Be careful Lucy, summer is officially over where we are heading. It will probably still be hot for a while but soon it's going to be colder more often than not. So if you need outer clothing like a jacket, I can get you one."

Natsu opened the door to the cabin, allowing the Princess to walk through into the room.

"Don't worry about it, Captain. I'm sure I'll ask you for one if the need arises."

Natsu pursed his lips in frustration while he watched Lucy go to the wash room to change into her night clothes. After she closed the door, Natsu began his own nighttime routine. He removed his shirt and trousers and climbed into the futon at the end of the room, and waited for Lucy to emerge from the wash room.

"What's wrong, Lucy? Did you fall in?" He teased.

Lucy's angry voice erupted from the other side of the door.

"No, I'm fine! It's just…." her voice trailed off.

Natsu raised himself on his arm and faced the door.

"Sorry? I didn't hear that last part."

Natsu waited for a few moments before climbing out of his futon and walking over to the door. He knew Lucy absolutely didn't allow him to walk around in his underwear, but he was worried that she might need some help.

"You alright?" He asked, gently knocking on the door.

"I..I….I'm… I'm just fff-fine!"

Natsu's face twisted in concern and confusion, and decided he was going to crack the door. He slowly twisted the door knob, and slightly opened it.

"What's wrong? I know you're in trouble, Lucy." Natsu was talking to the crack in the door, but was steadfast in facing the other way.

"Close that door!"

Natsu felt Lucy's weight being pressed against the door as she shouted, but he kept the door firmly cracked.

"Would you just tell me what's wrong? You can't stay in there all night!" Natsu was losing his patience.

"AH!... Ummmm, I… I think… I think Levy got into my clothes…."

Natsu's face got even more confused.

"What? What do you mean she got into your clothes, you said she packed your bag the other day."

"Yeah! THAT one, but I packed one myself full of clothing that Mirajane and Levy gave me to wear."

Natsu pinched the bridge of his nose.

 _Levy…_

"Aaannnd…. something has happened to the clothes you packed?"

A few moments of silence passed as Natsu waited for her response.

"Well, only to my sleeping attire that I can tell…"

The Captain's head raised in confusion.

"Lucy, it really doesn't matter what kind of clothing you wear to bed. One can sleep naked if so inclined, so get out here and get in your cot. And GO TO SLEEP."

The Captain was at the end of his rope. It really was a long day and he was eager to sleep, however she had a nasty habit of depriving him of his much needed rest. He walked back over to his futon and gave his shoulders a good stretch before reaching down for his comforter, when the door of the bathroom slowly cracked more open.

There standing in his bathroom doorway was no longer a Princess. Instead, there was somebody completely different; it took a minute for Natsu to process what was really in front of him. There was a beautiful blonde woman, with her hair freshly washed from the basin. Her face was red from embarrassment, and she was looking anywhere but at Natsu. His eyes traced her form downward, and saw she was wearing a sky blue lacy baby doll lingerie gown that barely covered the necessary parts. It was open in the front allowing the viewer to see the matching thong underneath that Lucy was doing her best to cover with her hands.

Natsu stood there crouched holding his comforter absolutely frozen in place. He wasn't sure what to do with himself. In fact no thoughts entered his mind at all. At least not until…

"DAMN IT, NATSU! I told you to hide and cover your eyes!" Lucy said, jumping back behind the door of the washroom and covering everything, save her face.

Suddenly life entered the Captain's body once again.

He immediately jumped into his futon and pulled the covers over his head.

"I'm sorry Lucy! I didn't hear you I swear!"

He apologized as blood rushed to his face. Natsu remained there, silently cursing himself as he heard Lucy's footsteps putter past him quickly and then into the cot. Allowing himself a few moments to calm down before speaking, the Captain slowly pulled his comforter down to expose his head. He slowly rolled over to look at the cot, to see if it was safe for him to look at her. All he could see was a pile of blankets stacked on top of blonde hair cascading off the edge of the bed.

"Next time, pay attention!" Squeaked Lucy from under her blankets.

Natsu just stared at the cot for a moment, wondering what to do or say. Realizing anything he said at this point would just be taken the wrong way, the Captain opted for remaining silent and trying to go to sleep.

"S… Sorry for freaking out on you, I realize it wasn't your fault…"

Natsu looked over to see brown eyes peering at him from over her covers.

"No, I'm sorry. Dragon Slayers are supposed to have enhanced senses and I should have heard you. I think I was just too frustrated, and wasn't paying attention. This was my fault."

Lucy smiled morosely back at the Captain.

"Soooo…. uhhh…" Natsu started awkwardly.

"Why's Levy switching out all your night clothing for lingerie?"

Lucy felt like her heart jumped up into her throat, as she hid herself back under the covers.

"It's not just that! Everything I packed has been changed! I looked further in after you asked, and there's not a single piece of royal-appropriate garb in my entire pack!"

Natsu chuckled nervously.

"Yeah the women of Fairy Tail enjoy showing some skin…" He tried to explain.

"Whatever, I'm going to bed! And in the morning, I'll be borrowing some of your clothes. I refuse to walk out of here in essentially my underwear!"

Natsu rolled his eyes and went back to staring at the wall.

"I didn't think you were so sensitive."

"… I am a woman after all. Of course I'd be self conscious about how I look in front of the one I like."

"Hmmm? But Gray's not even here." Natsu stated, not fully understanding her meaning.

Lucy's face went red.

 _What did I just say? I know Gray's not here. So what am I doing?_

"Uh, yeah sorry. Slip of the tongue."

"You should get some sleep… night, Princess."

"Yeah, you too."

* * *

Lucy was standing at the hull with Natsu, Gajeel, and Levy. It was early morning and she was having a hard time listening to them as they planned the day's events, seeing as she was hardly able to sleep last night.

 _Damn you, Levy…_

She silently cursed, looking over at her best friend. Levy met her gaze with a sly smile, obviously aware that something had to have happened last night. Lucy simply glared at her.

 _I need to focus on this meeting. I don't want to miss something and let the Captain down._

Lucy listened to the rest of the meeting in earnest, while ignoring the glances that Levy was slipping her.

"We haven't gotten any word back from Fiore, or from the Island. I find this very unusual." Gajeel said, with a glare, crossing his arms.

"I agree. This is a bad time for radio silence, and yet it's impossible to reach them by my archive magic paper. Nobody's sent us any news via air mail either." Natsu mused, running his hands through his hair.

Lucy noticed that he did that whenever he was stressed or was figuring something out.

"What are we going to do? Should we just go ahead with docking in Hargeon for the first stop?"

Natsu stood there for a moment, thinking things over.

"No, something's obviously wrong. I won't lead my guild mates into danger… this completely ruins our plans. But… I think we're going to have to head south and dock at the secret pirates' location at the ancient ruins."

Gajeel and Levy both looked at him in shock.

"You think the situation is that dire?"

Natsu shook his head.

"I'm not sure, but I think it's very likely. When we left Magnolia before, the Royal Army was swarming everywhere looking for someone… my guess is that the silence we're getting must have something to do with that."

Natsu closed his eyes and frowned.

"It was foolish of me to set off in the first place. I let my own feelings and innate sense of inferiority, get in the way of my better judgment."

Gajeel heaved a sigh and looked over at the deck, observing the crew.

"There's nothing we can do about it now, what do you want me to tell the rest of the crew?"

Natsu looked over at Lucy for a moment.

Lucy felt her body grow cold, guilt and fear filled her to her core.

 _All this is my fault; they're in trouble because of me…_

"Tell them the truth; they're going to find out one way or another. There's no sense in hiding it. In the meantime Lucy and I will continue to try to reach the others."

Gajeel nodded and started to walk away, gesturing towards Levy to follow him. Levy gave Lucy a concerned glance before leaving with Gajeel.

 _Crap, she could tell I was upset._

"You know, you're not very good at hiding your feelings. If you wear a face like that one, you'll definitely give your secret away in no time." The Captain mocked, giving her a cocky smile.

Lucy had no energy, nor was she in the right frame of mind to even retort back at the captain.

"Yeah, you're probably right…"

Natsu looked at his friend in concern.

"Listen, I know you feel like this is your fault. But to be honest, this probably would have happened whether or not you were here with us or back at the palace."

"… You don't have to try to make me feel better. I know that my presence here just makes it more dangerous for your crew."

Natsu shrugged.

"Yeah, it probably does. But as pirates, we're already targeted by the country. It's not like we're not already in danger to begin with."

"I realize that, but it doesn't change the fact that I still feel like a burden."

"Lucy, if you even tried to leave, everyone at this guild would hunt you down and bring you back here. That's just the kind of people that we are. Besides, Lucy, It's always more fun when we're together."

Lucy looked up at Natsu, his face giving off that sense of comfort she always got from him; his corny grin telling her everything was going to be just fine.

Lucy felt tears begin to form at the corners of her eyes. Lucy's hands rose to the face trying to cover them up.

"Hey, it's okay to cry. There's no shame in it."

"It…it's just… I don't want to leave Fairy Tail! I love it here, and I love everyone here!"

Natsu laughed outright.

"There's no way you'd be able to leave, Luce."

Large heavy footsteps bounded behind her stopping just before the hull.

"What's this I hear about Lucy leaving Fairy Tail?!" Came a furious voice from the deck below.

Lucy turned around to see Elfman was standing there next to Mirajane, glaring up at Natsu.

"You'd better be lying about that, young lady!" Mirajane huffed, placing her hands firmly on her hips. She looked just like a mother scolding her child.

"Wait what? Lucy's leaving?" Wendy stopped, almost in tears.

Natsu looked over at his crew and then back at Lucy.

"See? What did I tell you?"

Lucy smiled at all of them, tears streaming from her face.

"No, I'm not leaving; I'll be here for as long as I can."

Levy looked up at her with a cheesy grin that would rival even the Captain's.

"Good, don't bother leaving. We'd just go get you anyways." Gajeel grumbled.

Levy nodded in agreement.

The crew laughed at Gajeel's comment, causing him to grow red with embarrassment. Gajeel stopped away went back to his routines, when Mest walked up to Natsu with a letter in hand.

"Captain, a carrier falcon dropped this off at the crow's nest only moments ago. I think it's from Magnolia."

Natsu hurriedly grabbed it from Mest and thanked him for delivering it. Natsu tore the letter open and began to read. As he was reading, his face grew darker and darker, causing Lucy to grow concerned.

"Lucy, gather Gajeel and Levy and tell them we're having an emergency meeting in the officers' quarters immediately."

Lucy nodded at him and ran down to the main deck to gather up her friends, and then walked them over to the officers' quarters.

"What's going on, Natsu?" Gajeel asked.

Natsu took out his keys and opened the door, allowing everyone to walk through.

"We got a letter from Magnolia." Natsu replied quietly.

Once inside the room, Lucy couldn't help but wonder why they still called this place the officers' quarters. Nobody stayed here; they just used it for extra storage. There were crates and barrels everywhere. But it was never being used, which made it easy to hold meetings away from the rest of the crew.

"What's going on? What does the letter say?" Levy asked nervously.

Natsu leaned up against one of the stacks of crates, and sighed.

"The docks at Hargeon are closed; we can't make it to Magnolia. In fact, all the ports in Fiore are shut down."

Levy raised her hands to her mouth and gasped. Gajeel's face twisted into a serious scowl.

"What?! What do you mean?!" He growled.

Natsu's face was serious and upset. Lucy had never seen him like this before. He was always so happy and excited. But this was a serious situation.

"It's the Alvarez Empire." He said, looking at Lucy.

Lucy's heart sank.

 _No…_

Gajeel and Levy looked confused.

"You're going to have to go into detail, Captain, I'm afraid I don't follow." Gajeel said.

Natsu sighed and looked over at Lucy again.

"The Alvarez Empire has decided to declare war on Fiore in one month, if the Emperor doesn't receive his promised bride from the Heartfilia royal family."

 _No! My father decided that engagement a long time ago, but my mother canceled it before she died! He has no claim!_

Levy looked over at Lucy—who looked like she was going to be sick.

 _Levy! You're too observant for your own good!_

Lucy's mind reared as she struggled with fear, anxiety, and anger while she tried everything in her power to look indifferent, to no avail.

"Wait a minute; I thought the Queen was barren. They don't have a child, do they?" Gajeel grunted.

Lucy gritted her teeth as they were talking around her. She was trying to keep her composure, but Natsu kept looking at her with those concerned eyes that made it so much harder to keep her emotions in check.

"Well in the chaos of the current state of affairs, the kingdom did in fact release the fact they do have a Princess that was being kept in the castle. But that's not really the important part, what's important is that Fiore will definitely lose this war."

Gajeel nodded in agreement.

"You're right; Fiore has been in civil unrest for awhile. If anyone were to attack, now would be an opportune time."

Natsu smiled.

"Exactly, I think the Emperor is just using this as an excuse to attack Fiore while we're weak."

"But why would the Emperor want to attack Fiore?" Levy asked.

Natsu shook his head.

"I'm not sure; there are a lot of possible reasons. But for now, I want to continue course for the pirate docks to the south. We should be able to get word out from there and talk to the other guilds as well; it will be a good place to re-supply and re-group."

Gajeel nodded in approval.

"I think you're making the right choice here, this is the best move we can make given our current situation. Neither army will be able to find us there."

"Uhhh, excuse me for a minute, I think I need some air." Lucy said, pushing past Gajeel and Levy to get through the door.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted as she closed the door behind her. Lucy ran over to the crow's nest and climbed to the very top.

 _What am I doing? I'm only making things harder for Natsu when I act selfishly like this. I feel like I just need a minute to myself._

Lucy put her head into her arms and leaned against the railing.

 _Maybe I'm just kidding myself with this whole freedom thing, maybe it's just best to go back to the palace and do what I can to prevent this war. Of course that would mean…_

Lucy looked down to see that the officer meeting was over and Natsu was standing below the crow's nest looking up at Lucy with mournful eyes. Natsu didn't say anything; he just looked up at Lucy. It reminded Lucy of when Gray would look up at her in her tower. She wished that Natsu could sweep her away like Gray did for her as a child and cure her of her connection to the Royal Family.

But Natsu wasn't a Prince.

He wasn't a god.

And he wasn't the solution she needed.

 _I know that this war is going to happen either way, but if there's even the slightest possible percentage that I can stop this war and save my friends… I have to take it._

Of all the things she learned in Fairy Tail, magic and swordplay weren't the things she needed the most.

It was courage.

Lucy looked at Natsu, who continued to stare back at her. It was still morning and the sun was shining against his chest and face. The sea was calm and by all means it was a perfect day.

 _I'm sorry, Natsu…_

She thought as she looked away.

 _I'm going to Alvarez._


	14. Chapter 14

A/N Sorry about the slow edit and small chapter! :( I know I'm pretty much the worst, but this month has been an emotional roller coaster! Having your employer go under, trying to get a new job, applying for new places to live... gets exhausting...

Any-who, Let me know how you like the chapter!

Chapter 14

Lucy's mind had been reeling the last couple of days. She had resolved to stay at Fairy Tail, only to come to the realization that she had to leave the guild, all in the same day. The Princess had never experienced this mixture of emotions before, and it was only now that she realized just how selfish and shut off from the world she was. Everyone on the ship would give everything they had for each other; all that Lucy had done since she'd stepped foot on the ship was take. She took Natsu's cot and his clothes, not to mention Levy's and Mirajane's. She took Erza and Gajeel's time for lessons that they could be spending helping the guild. The only thing that she'd given was money, which paled in comparison when she looked at all the things she'd gotten in return.

The least she could do was to go back home and try to convince the Emperor to take her with him instead of destroying all of Fiore.

 _I can't let him destroy the people I love, and I definitely can't let the people I love die when I could have prevented it._

Lucy cursed her own stupidity.

 _I was so naive to think I could run away and think there wouldn't be any consequences to my actions._

Lucy stared into the sky and sighed. She'd been hiding in the crow's nest during the day, acting in Mest's place. She had asked him if she could remain as the look-out for the extent of the voyage. Mest didn't have a problem with it, and instead, had been assisting the Captain in her place.

And Natsu was NOT happy about it.

Natsu had told Lucy that he wouldn't force her to return to her duties, however, he had her stripped of her title as Acting First Mate and had transferred it to Mest.

But Lucy didn't care, she just wanted to put space between her and Natsu—even if it meant she had to hurt him a little.

 _It's better this way._

Lucy looked over to where Levy was sitting. Since Lucy had made herself scarce around the ship, the crew was trying everything they could to bring her back and have her reinstated as Acting First Mate. It wasn't that she was more qualified, in fact, it was the opposite. Instead, they were more concerned with her well being, which meant that Levy was doing everything she could to get Lucy down from the towering crow's nest.

Lucy smiled sadly.

She loved Levy like a sister; an evil, maniacal, sister who loved her back, even if she showed it in different ways.

Levy looked up at Lucy and waved sadly, smiling.

 _Sorry Levy…_

Lucy knew she was acting childish and immature, but she had to distance herself for the plan she was hatching.

Natsu had told her that they would be docking at the Pirate's Cove in just a few days and that all the Captains from Fairy Tail would be there—as well as representatives and captains from other guilds. Lucy was hoping to meet up with someone there whom she could trust and who would secretly take her back to her family's castle. The plan was for this trustworthy person to present Lucy to her family, and from there, her father would present her to the Emperor.

 _It's strange though, father had never mentioned an arranged marriage before…_

Lucy pouted as she pondered over her strategy, wondering if any of the Captains of Fairy Tail would be willing to help her out. Natsu was definitely out; he'd destroy all of Alvarez before letting anyone he cared about leave the guild. Erza would be more likely, but even she had a passionate side, more so than anyone else in Fairy Tail.

Lucy sighed.

 _It has to be Laxus._

Laxus was the only person she'd be able to trust not to backstab her, but also trust him to do what's best for the guild—even if it meant letting Lucy go. Besides, he didn't really have an emotional attachment to her like some of the others.

"LUCY! Get down here! This is an order, I'm not asking!" Bellowed Natsu's voice from the hull of the ship.

Lucy glared over at him, while he glared back.

"…Fine…" She muttered as she picked herself up and climbed down the ladder.

Natsu stood at the bottom of the mast waiting for her, his arms crossed in irritation. He took a moment to look her up and down.

"Lucy… I've been very patient about this, but I think it's time we talk about this. Come with me to my room."

Irritation was flowing freely in Natsu's voice.

Lucy clenched her teeth—but didn't speak—as she followed behind Natsu.

 _It feels like my father is going to scold me…_

When they got there, his room was visibly different. The neat and tidy room she had come to know and love was in shambles. The cot was unmade, desks and chests were all shoved into one corner of the room, and it appeared like old bath towels were making a trail from the hamper to the washroom. Lucy raised an eyebrow but decided it wasn't her place to ask. Instead, she turned to face the Captain.

"What is it, Cap'n?" She asked, in the best Gajeel impersonation that she could muster.

Natsu glared as he leaned his back against the door, thumbs in his pockets.

"This isn't a joke, Lucy. What's been going on in that mind of yours lately?"

"What do you—?"

"AND DON'T SAY WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" He cut her off, fury in his trembling voice.

Lucy stumbled back in surprise. She'd never seen or heard Natsu like this. There was genuine fear in his eyes.

Natsu pinched his nose in frustrated agony.

"Do you honestly take me for a fool?"

Lucy couldn't answer. The words wouldn't come to her; she stood in silence as Natsu compiled his thoughts.

"I know what I said the other day was rather shocking. I debated not telling you, but I felt you should know. I'm NOT STUPID, Lucy! I understand what you're going through. I probably know what you've been thinking… or planning. But I'm going to tell you right now that none of us here want you to leave or would want you to sacrifice your freedom for the rest of us."

Natsu's hand fell from his face as he composed himself. He looked into Lucy's eyes; they were filled with sorrow and worry.

He continued.

"Every one of us is here for a reason, most having tragic back stories and unforgivable pasts. You're no different. Honestly, Lucy, it's time to grow up a little and let people help you. You've been wearing this mask since you got here; maybe it's time to tell people who you are. They love you now, there's no way they'd reject you. Fairy Tail just isn't that kind of guild."

Natsu smiled at her, waiting for her to react.

 _What was he saying? That they'd just accept the person bringing all this tragedy down on the world?_

"Besides, I really think that this was just an excuse to attack Fiore… this war was a long time coming, even before you ran away."

He chuckled slightly.

"It's okay to cry."

Lucy lifted her hands to her face and felt tears streaming down her cheeks.

 _When did I…?!_

Lucy pulled her hand away and confirmed that water was now pooling in the palm of her hand.

Natsu smiled and gave his cheesy grin.

"So…don't go anywhere, okay?"

 _Don't go anywhere…._

Lucy's face twisted in sorrow. She knew everything he was saying was true, she also knew how it felt to have someone you care about leave you. But, she couldn't see a better alternative than the one she'd already come up with; she had to leave, for everyone's sakes. They didn't know the Alvarez Empire. Granted, Lucy didn't know much either, but the things she managed to overhear from the servants and her father were not good.

 _Damnit!_

Angry tears flowed from her brown eyes, as she leapt into Natsu's arms.

"Natsu! I'm so, so sorry, Natsu!"

Lucy continued to cry as she buried her face into his white cotton shirt, Natsu's arms wrapped around her tightly as he rested his cheek on her hair.

 _I'm even sorrier that I still have to leave you… I can't take any chances. I'm done running from my past, I'm confronting it. Besides, if I don't end it now, it will just come back to haunt me later._

She tried to pull away from his strong arms, but Natsu held firm, unwilling to let her go.

Lucy unsuccessfully tried to look over at him.

"Natsu? You okay?"

"….. I just have this feeling that as soon as I let you go… that you'll run away."

Lucy's heart began to pound in her chest, as blood rushed through her veins.

She had just become aware that Natsu's arms—and his scent—were all over her. His hair tickled her face and neck. She inhaled deeply, she loved his smell.

He smelled like cedar and redwood, it reminded her of the times in the palace that they would chop up the fallen trees after the summer storms. She could always smell the wood being chopped in the gardens from up in her tower. It was one of the few times if felt like summer was trying to greet her, since she could not go out to meet it. She let her mind wander as she thought of the summer storms at the palace. Natsu was so much like them: sunny, cheerful, yet powerful.

Finally, Natsu released her slowly, but he rested his forehead on her shoulder.

Lucy's heart continued to race as she felt her stomach flip.

"You're not allowed to leave me… I can't have someone else leave…" He whispered almost inaudibly into her shoulder. Lucy felt his hot breath on her neck as he spoke.

"Mmmm?" Lucy asked, blood rushing to her cheeks.

"What do you mean 'someone else'?"

Natsu shook and raised his head.

"Doesn't matter, just remember we're family, and family looks out for each other."

Lucy nodded to relieve his anxiety.

 _They also protect each other._

Natsu nodded confidently as he opened the door to escort her out.

Lucy walked passed him and onto the main deck. When she walked a few steps, she realized that Natsu wasn't standing next to her. Lucy looked around trying to find him, finally her eyes stopped on his profile leaning against his doorframe.

… _Natsu?_

"Lucy, you should know that we have no intention of letting you go… That _**I**_ have no intention of letting you go."

He gave her a crooked smile and turned to leave back into his room.

Lucy felt her heart take off as she watched him close his door.

… _stop._

 _Stop._

 _STOP! I'm sorry!_

Lucy couldn't help the waves of regret and treason crashing over her body. She started taking shallow breaths, while trying to get enough oxygen.

 _This must be an anxiety attack._

Her stomach turned in knots while she felt the strength leave her legs.

Lucy fell to her knees while clutching her chest.

The feelings she felt towards her friends and the treasonous act she was about to commit, must have been too much for her inexperienced self. She didn't have enough practice being and having friends yet to be able to process these emotions properly.

Instead, it sent her body into overdrive and she reacted physically to the stress she was experiencing. Cold sweat formed at the nape of her neck and followed down her back, it was as if her body was trying to purge these unknown emotions.

Finally, nausea overcame Lucy, as her stomach emptied out onto the deck.

"Lucy!" Boomed Levy's voice.

Lucy heard footsteps stop behind her, and felt Levy place a hand on her back comfortingly.

It was to no avail, however, as Lucy bit her lip and gritted her teeth.

 _I have to get off this ship._

A moment later, Lucy blacked out.

* * *

Less than a day had passed before they were ready to dock at the Pirates' Cove in the south. Lucy had woken up in the abandoned officers' quarters with Levy keeping an eye on her.

Levy was kind and explained to Lucy that she did, in fact, have a panic attack and that Wendy had already given her a check-up. Ironically, it was Natsu who was in a worse state than anybody else. Levy laughed when she said that _he_ almost had a panic attack when he saw Lucy.

When Lucy got up, she insisted in resuming her designated duties and being debriefed about anything that had gone on while she was out.

They weren't in a great situation.

The archive magic paper still wasn't operational, and Natsu and the crew had become even more convinced that something was amiss. Natsu had warned Lucy to be on her toes because he couldn't guarantee the condition and state of the Pirates' Cove. Natsu said that the worst case scenario for them would come to pass if martial law were declared; the guilds would then have to follow suit. He failed to mention, however, what it would be like if the guild had to declare martial law. Every time Lucy asked about it, Natsu would just look somber, like he was hiding something.

In the end, though, it didn't really matter.

Lucy had decided to leave after all.

Although lately, she'd been having feelings that she couldn't quite put her finger on in regards to Natsu. It was definitely friendship, but not quite how she had felt about Gray, all those years ago. She knew she had loved Gray, but with Natsu, it was…different.

It was more like… she knew she had to protect him no matter what. That she was willing to leave him if it meant that he could live happily and safely with his guild.

Lucy stared into the black sky, which reflected off the face of the sea. Time had passed by quickly after she'd passed out; evening was already run its course. Stars danced in the ripples that the ship left in its wake, and Lucy liked to challenge herself to spot constellations in the sea. It was much more difficult doing it this way than by looking at the sky. She wasn't sure if it was a skill that she'd ever have to use, but at least it kept her entertained. She was up on the crow's nest once again; after all, she did switch responsibilities with Mest.

She liked it up in the sails of the ship; it made her feel more relaxed since she still wasn't confident with herself when it came to social interaction.

And Lucy was pretty sure her panic attack was the reason.

Levy was kind enough to talk her through the first one. Levy was a good friend; she never even asked what had worked her up so bad, knowing that it could make her panic again.

Something shining caught Lucy's eye, was it fire maybe?

Yeah, it was fire, fire reflecting on the water like the stars. Lucy looked up to see two large bonfires burning on the shore of Fiore.

Lucy shouted to alert Natsu.

"CAPTAIN! LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE!"

"Finally!" The Captain's voice traveled from his cabin.

Natsu barged out of his room and climbed up the mast to join Lucy in the crow's nest.

"Awesome, we're finally here." He stated with apprehension in his voice.

Lucy raised an eyebrow at his tone.

"What's wrong?"

The Captain shrugged,

"I'm not positive. I have a pretty good idea, but… I just know we're in for some bad news when we dock on shore. It's a little bitter-sweet."

Lucy frowned and looked back over to the pirates' cove.

 _I wonder if Laxus will be there… and if he is… will he help me? Will I be able to find any willing person at all?_

Lucy closed her eyes and tried not to think about it, suddenly something dawned on her.

"So if this is a secret pirate base or whatever, why do you light the entrance with a huge bonfire?"

Natsu smiled back at her,

"Only those sailing in guild ships can see the bonfire at all." He laughed, turning back the other way and facing the hull.

"Levy! Set sail for shore! WE DOCK WITHIN THE HOUR!" Natsu thundered as he leapt from the mast landing squarely on his feet, as if it were second nature to jump from that height.

Lucy sighed.

 _He's definitely avoiding me_

Normally he'd stay with her while they sailed into port and keep her company, but ever since she'd had her panic attack, he'd kept his distance. It felt like when they were back on the island, and he'd just disappeared. But somehow…this felt even lonelier.

 _Someone there has to help me._


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: How are you doing guys! Trying to get faster at the updates! I might be moving soon so please be patient with me; life is kind of in an unstable place for me right now. Let me know what you think, I like this chapter so much more than the last one, I apologize for that….

Chapter 15

Lucy did NOT like the pirate's cove. The other guilds there seemed annoying and boastful. Saber tooth was full of men that reminded her of the illegal activities going on in Magnolia. Blue Pegasus had man-child creepers trying to prey on the young ladies. The whole situation mixed in with Fairy Tail and the other guilds made it feel cramped. But it wasn't like the cove its self was unpleasant. From the entrance of the bonfires outside, you go through a waterfall and on the other side waited a small land ring with a large crescent shaped beach. Natsu said that it was really the opening of an ancient volcano that had long since gone inactive. Although he said it was perfectly safe to inhabit now, Lucy still had her reservations about making a small town inside a dormant volcano. On the outside of the volcanic spout was a huge mountain range, keeping it well hidden and safe from invaders. Lucy could see how tactically, this would be the safest place to be during a war… except for the fact it was in a former boiling, lava spewing death machine…

Since she had arrived Lucy had been waiting for her moment to speak with Laxus, but he hadn't seemed to have a spare moment where she could confront him just yet. It was frustrating, but it wasn't like she was able to talk about it to the other members of the guild if she didn't want to raise suspicion to herself.

Natsu and the other Captains of the various guilds there were constantly in meetings that convened all day. They were all essentially waiting for the guilds masters to arrive so that they could make any decisions that they needed to formal. The Captains kept saying that the masters should all arrive within the next couple days. It was all very strenuous, seeing as they never told anybody just what the meetings were about. That didn't bother Lucy as much as cornering Laxus did.

Lucy sat on the beach looking down at the water caressing the beach in slow, calculated strokes. Loke sat next to her holding his shoes and her sandals in his lap. They had spent the last couple hours talking about her grievances and her plans to run off.

* * *

Loke didn't necessarily agree but he was duty bound to support the princess in all her decisions. All he could do was protect her to the best of his abilities. He looked over at his master with a face that could only be described as forlorn. Loke let out a small sigh and patted Lucy on the back.

 _First Gray now this… will Lucy ever catch a break?_

Truthfully Loke pitied his master. He'd spent his days with her days watching from afar. The abuse from her father, the merciless training from Silver, the plotting of father and son he swore to never tell her because he knew it would break her heart. Loke knew and protected her from all these things, which made it hard to watch her rely on others, especially Natsu.

 _Tch! Natsu, you bastard._

Loke clenched his fist in the soft sand.

Lucy never really learned to rely on Loke like he's always hoped she would, probably because her father kept her keys locked away from her. Her father was afraid that once she started to learn magic she'd try to run away...

 _I guess her father was right about that…_

But that never stopped Loke from crossing over using his own magic to watch over her. Of all the masters that Loke had served, Lucy was the most kind and yet saddest of them all.

In years past the women of her mother's line were treated like priestesses, and were legendarily beautiful. Loke had served her family for generations, but Layla was different. She had effortless power, beauty and strength. He was drawn to her in a way that he was not drawn to his other masters. Eventually he realized that he'd fallen in Love with Layla, and that he'd become dangerously close to being in a relationship that was taboo amongst celestial spirits. He loved Layla, but he also knew that a relationship like the one he desired could never come to pass. So he forced himself to keep his feelings to himself. Their life spans alone were enough to be the reason that they couldn't be together, but there was his curse to think about as well.

All celestial spirits are essentially cursed beings.

After all, immortality comes at a price.

Loke let out a heavy sigh looking out at the ocean.

 _Somehow the ocean always makes me wistful, and brings up memories of the past…_

Loke was there when the kings' men showed up at her families' shrine and abducted her mother at the young age of fourteen to be his child bride.

Loke tried to stop her from going but even he was no match for the entire Royal Army. Layla stopped him from fighting and surrendered herself to the king in order to protect her family and her spirits. He decision always weighed heavily on his heart, knowing that he could do nothing to save her.

But Layla blossomed wherever she was planted. Those were the years that he became aware of his feelings for the Queen, when she was already out of his reach. Layla was easily likeable and caused those around her to feel at ease. She was a breath of fresh air in the otherwise stagnate palace. Even though she knew the king merely used her and would never love her, she didn't let it crush her spirit. It was as though she were unbreakable. But those happy days didn't last long. Eventually, the strain of using her magic and loneliness took its toll on Layla. It was just before she became pregnant with Lucy that Layla revealed to Loke that she had always loved him back, but she would never allow herself to speak of it because she knew she was dying. She explained to him that her body was one that could not support the strain magic took on the body, yet she continued to practice it for her families sake and for the sake of the king. It was less than a year after Lucy was born that Layla passed away in her sleep.

 _The kings' sake… that Royal piece of filth!_

Loke had personally labeled the king as his mortal enemy. The king who stole Layla as a child bride and the woman he loved; he who showed no remorse or sorrow when it came to his wife's death.

The king never did go to her funeral, his excuse being that he was 'too busy.' Layla had entered his palace alone, and she died alone. Her funeral was only attended by a few servants who loved her and by her celestial spirits.

After she died, the king did away with everything that the Queen owned, wiped her names form any and all records and left the public with unanswered questions.

It was as if she never existed.

At the end of her life Layla had nothing tangible to leave proving she had lived, except for Lucy.

Loke hated himself for not saving Layla back when he had the chance, and seeing the toll her magic was causing her body. He allowed himself to fall in love, and it distracted him from what was really happening, he only caused tragedy for Layla and for himself. It was at Laylas' grave that he swore to always protect Lucy as if she were his own child. This was the only repentance he could give Layla for failing her so miserably.

He looked back at Lucy, determined not to let another one of her family sacrifice their happiness for the good of others.

"Lucy, whatever you do- understand that I've always got your back."

He said clenching his fist. He was determined for Laylas' sake, but he also learned the hard way about getting to close to humans. He wasn't going to make another mistake like that again. He was determined to remain a protecting observer. But there was something so like Layla in her that had his determination shake to its core.

Lucy smiled sadly and pulled her knees to her chest.

"Yeah, you've always been there Loke. I guess I never really realized it until now but, you and the rest of the celestial spirits are my only real friends."

Loke laughed out right.

"That's preposterous princess. You've done well and make some very good friends. Except for that Natsu… you should stay away from him altogether. I think he's got some not so admirable intentions…"

Loke finished looking away as if he said something embarrassing.

Lucy raised an eyebrow and turned her head to glance at her spirit companion.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Loke pouted and crossed his arms, watching twilight descend into evening as the sun started to set.

"It means, I don't trust him. He's obviously hiding something from you."

Lucy nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I know. He told me. So what?"

Loke looked back at Lucy in a stupor from the impact of what she just said.

"'So what?' You should be furious! Aren't you upset?"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders and rested her head onto her knees.

"I'm hiding just as much from him…" she mumbled thoughtfully.

"Friends don't do that right? Friends tell each other what's bothering them right? ... Maybe we really aren't friends after all, and we've just been pretending this whole time."

Lucy buried her face into her knees as the realization flooded her heart. She felt water stinging the corner of her eyes and felt it drip down her sandy cheeks.

Loke patted her back, words failing him at the moment. His mood was somewhere between concerned and vexed. Loke loved Lucy from the bottom of his heart, and would die for her if he could. But the state she was in made him furious and his fury was targeted towards Natsu.

 _Natsu… you bastard, not Lucy, not MY LUCY!_

He cursed him clenching his teeth.

Loke sat there comforting Lucy, remembering his uncountable years of life that he'd lived up until now.

 _I'm seriously starting to wonder if this was all worth it…_

 _Immortality… just what is it really?_

Loke looked down to behold his master sleeping against his shoulder; she'd finally tired herself out. Loke bent down and kissed her gently on her temple as he wiped a tear from her face that had the audacity to linger on her face.

 _I won't let him have you Lucy._

* * *

Natsu was walking back to his tent to sleep, when a cold breeze caught him off guard causing him to sneeze.

 _Geeze, hope I'm not getting a cold._

He thought wiping his nose with a handkerchief he kept in his back pocket.

 _Damn these long meetings…_

Natsu wasn't one for sitting around discussing what needed to be done. So meetings were particularly hard for him to sit through. Mostly he just screamed profanities until they dismissed him from attending for the day.

"You'd think they'd just excuse me altogether by now…"

He said out loud to himself as he shuffled disgruntled along the shore leading to his tent, when a pair of silhouettes caught his eye. Natsu raised and eyebrow. Dinner was in session right now, everybody should be at the mess hall… but as the pirate Captain drew closer, it was obvious that the smaller of the two figures was Lucy, and the larger one was Loke.

 _Loke, what's he doing here?_

It was getting dark, but Natsus' dragon eyes could not be deceived. He could see just fine in the dark. Natsu stopped for a moment just to watch what was happening. He didn't really trust Loke after he barged in on him while he was naked, but he also knew that he wouldn't hurt Lucy. If for no other reason, than the contract he had to have signed to become her celestial spirit. Natsu ducked behind a large boulder and crouched down.

 _What are they doing out here? Whatever it is, it looks kind of… romantic…_

For some reason the thought irked Natsu to his very core. He pushed his feelings aside to allow him to continue observing without unleashing a menacing aura.

Lucy appeared to be sleeping…

 _Why isn't he taking her home if she's tired?_

As he finished his thought, he witnessed Lokes' silhouette bend down and kiss Lucy.

 _WHAT THE DAMN HELL?_

He shouted in his mind. Natsu held on tightly to the boulder, causing there to be two hand shaped dents in the boulders side. He did this in order to prevent himself from running out there to sock him in the jaw as hard as he could muster.

If Natsu wasn't emanating a menacing aura before, he certainly was now. Natsu felt angry dragon fire swirl in his belly, begging to be unleashed. Small flames unable to be contained inside his body anymore erupted like sparks between his clenched teeth.

Natsu wasn't very good at controlling his temper when it escalated beyond a certain point. He closed his eyes in an attempt to think of something else, all which stopped when a thought came across his mind, immediately sedating his fury.

 _What if she likes him?_

The possibility was there; after all he'd known her for a long time. It was strange though, Lucy never did talk about her celestial sprits… or at least not to him.

 _I guess I just don't know enough to judge at the moment. However it's clear he likes her…_

Natsu played with his thoughts for a moment, causing himself to became ashamed of his reaction.

 _I have no right to meddle in her personal life… so to speak. But I thought that she was still getting over Gray. And I thought… that maybe we…_

The taste in Natsus' mouth suddenly became bitter, as he forced himself to walk away.

 _I'll just take the long way home._

He thought; face full of contempt. Natsu grabbed his sailors cap from his back pocket, and pulled it on over his head. Trying to shield his eyes from any who passed him, because he knew his face must have looked terrifying.

 _Why am I letting this get under my skin?_

Natsu shoved his hands in his back pockets and hunched his shoulders in displeasure.

 _Damn it! I don't even care!_

His thoughts continued to fester as he shuffled his way back to his tent.

* * *

 _Finally!_

Tomorrow night was the night.

Lucy would be leaving the pirates cove, and Fairy Tail.

Lucy was currently in her tent packing with Loke keeping watch outside.

A few days ago the masters had all arrived, bringing everyone else in the guilds with them… including Gray.

Having Gray back in Lucy's everyday life was causing her emotions and decisions to waver. Consequently she'd been avoiding Gray. She wasn't sure if Gray and Juvia got married in the time that they had been gone, and she didn't want to know. Seeing him still hurt and seeing him with Juvia hurt even more. She hated feeling this way. She cared about both of them and genuinely wanted them to be happy, but it was hard to put on a face. Lucy avoided most of the guild and spent most of her time training on the beach with Loke. The only person she'd talked to was Levy, and it was obvious to Lucy that Levy could sense she was hiding something. But Levy was kind enough not to ask her about it, she also never mentioned Gray, Juvia or the Captain.

The masters being back did have one advantage to Lucy; it meant that captains had more free time. Lucy had taken advantage of the time allotment and managed to corner Laxus and ask for his help. It was a long and strenuous process.

 _He's really hard to deal with._

But at least he was willing to hear her out and at the end of everything; he'd agreed to help her.

"We'll need some assistance getting out of here and I can't take my crew, I'd be too suspicious. But I think I know a couple of guys who'd be willing to help. Just let me take care of it."

Lucy had been mulling over what Laxus had said to her for a while, wondering who he'd get to help her out. It was safe to assume that they wouldn't be members of Fairy Tail… All she really hoped was that it wasn't that stupid group of guys from the Blue Pegasus guild. Those guys gave her the creeps.

Lucy was in her tent gathering things in earnest for her journey. Laxus said not to worry about food or shelter, and that he'd figure something out, but he said to make sure that she had the barest of necessities. Lucy had packed a spare change of clothes she'd taken from Natsu and a couple pairs of underwear.

Lucy looked over and glared at the pile of sexy panties that Levy had given her.

 _I still don't understand you Levy; you should have realized that I'd never get to use these… Well that's not entirely true, I guess I could bring them for when I get married in the next couple weeks…_

Lucy suddenly stopped.

The realization of going back home hadn't fully hit her with its full meaning… until now.

She'd be married to the Emperor before the month was over.

She would have to be married to this man, effectively destroying any future where she could fall in love with someone new. Not only that but she'd never be allowed to have her own freedom again.

 _I hope those rumors about the Alvarez Emperor are exaggerated… they usually are right?_

Worry and anxiety suddenly started to fill her stomach, as she remembered the stories passed around by thoughtless servants back at the palace.

Lucy shook her head and forced the thoughts from her mind. She couldn't handle another panic attack.

A noise from behind her distracted her from the emotions she was wrestling with. She turned to see Lokes face peeking through the curtain at the head of her tent.

"Oh, sorry Loke, I was distracted if you tried to call me I didn't hear anything until just now… what's up?"

"Uh, Natsu's here to talk to you… do you want me to let him in or show him out?"

"OH! No, it's fine! Just give me a second!"

Lucy frantically hid her bag and threw a blanket over the things she didn't want seen.

 _Especially that bag of panties!_

She thought making sure it was well hidden.

"Come on in!" she shouted towards the door.

Natsu awkwardly appeared through the curtain and stepped inside, not breaking eye-contact with Loke until He'd left the two of them alone.

After Loke had left Natsu turned his attention to Lucy, his gaze firm and unyielding.

The way he was looking at her was rather unnerving, and made her feel uneasy.

"So uh, what's up?" she asked taking a seat on the floor.

Natsu sat down, following suit.

"It's just I haven't seen you in a while, and I heard you were spending a lot of time with Loke lately. I guess I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Natsu awkwardly scratched the back of his head, looking away, and waiting for Lucy to respond.

"Uh, yeah. I guess I have been spending most of my time with Loke now that I think about it. I guess I've just been avoiding as much contact with Gray as possible."

Natsu looked up brow furrowed and confused.

"Oh, … Gray… so you…you're still not over him?"

Lucy frowned back, slight anger in her tone.

"Should I be? And if I'm not, what of it?"

Natsus look of alarm to her response was nothing short of shocking to Lucy.

Natsu looked down to hide his darkening face. He grumbled something under his breath and slowly stood up.

"I seem to have misunderstood something… I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Lucy grabbed hold of his arm before he could make his exit.

"Wait, Natsu!"

Natsu stopped and turned to face Lucy.

"What is it?"

He asked just as confused as before.

"It's just that… I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me up until now. What you and the guild have done for me is insurmountable to what I could ever do to repay you. I know that the stars brought me here…. and just… well… thanks… is what I'm trying to get at here."

Natsu smiled gently and ruffled her hair.

"What are friends for? Right?"

Lucy looked down at her feet and bit her lip.

"Yeah… friends."

The Captain nodded and left through the curtain. Lucy realized that this was probably the last time she'd ever see Natsu again, so she drew back the curtain ever so gently and watched his figure disappear into the distance.

"You'll always be my friend Natsu… please don't forget me."

Lucy felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see Loke smiling sadly at her.

"You can still stay if you really wanted Lucy."

Lucy stared of silently into the ocean, etching the memory into her mind. She wasn't sure if she'd ever see the ocean like this again… or at all. She wasn't sure what Alvarez was like, but after her running away from her family, she was sure that the Emperor would keep her locked up the rest of her life.

"I'm sorry Loke; I really can't turn back now… not to mention that I wouldn't even if I could."

* * *

Loke sighed and slumped his shoulders.

"Lucy, I know that I'm supposed to help you in your efforts of the decisions you make. However, I have been a spirit for a very long time and all I can see in your future is tragedy if you head down this road."

Lucy remained silent for a minute before replying.

"I'm aware of that Loke, yet it is still my decision to make."

Loke clenched his fists and his breath became more ragged.

"I promised your mother I'd protect you from this exact fate…"

Lucy put Lokes hands in her own and looked up at him.

"I'm truly sorry that I'm putting you all in this situation… but please remain my strength until the bitter end?"

Loke bit down hard on his tongue and forced back tears. He could feel blood fill his mouth and made himself swallow it down.

"Yes, of course I will princess… I will follow you until the last breath draws from your chest."

Lucy nodded.

"Thank you Loke, I promise to depend on you more from here on out."

Loke dropped his hands and looked up at Lucy.

"Well then you should be getting yourself to bed here young miss."

Lucy laughed slightly as she went back inside her tent and finished her packing.

"I'll protect you princess… what would immortality be without you in it?"

He said touching the outside of the tent gently like he was casting a spell over her. Loke slowly removed his hand and looked up at the now dark sky.

"You'll help me protect her… right guys?"

As if in response to his question a shooting star flew across the night sky.

Loke smiled to himself.

"Alright then, let's take down the Emperor."


	16. Chapter 16

Okay guys... I know I'm the worst...

My editor wasn't available to edit this or the last chapter... so it might be a little raw. Also, I had to up the rating to M...

Let me know what you think!

Chapter 16

Natsu laid there in his tent fuming about what events just transpired. He was sure that he saw Loke kiss Lucy on the beach, but was confused as to why.

 _Can celestial spirits even have relationships with mortals?_

Natsu had never studied much on holder magic, so he was a little foggy on the details. All he knew for sure was that celestial wizard magic was on a whole different level than normal holder magic. But he did know there were rules about behavior between spirit and wizard. For instance; he knew that spirits were under no circumstances allowed to hurt their master, nor were they allowed to disobey them, even if it meant that the spirits themselves would end up harmed.

Natsu was confused and uncomfortable about the new paradigm that he might have to come to terms with. His arms were crossed against his bare chest, he stared at the tent ceiling while he assembling his thoughts together. When it came to Loki and Lucy, there were things that he was certain of and things that he was…. less certain of.

 _Why do I even care? Why do I feel this irrational desire to find out what's happening when it really isn't even my business?_

He thought, glaring furiously at his ceiling.

In his mind, he made a list.

Things that he was certain of:

 _Lucy was on the beach with Loke and he kissed her._

 _Loke and Lucy have been together a long time._

 _For some reason the latter facts infuriated him._

Things that he was less certain of:

 _His feelings towards Lucy._

 _How to move forward from here._

 _Why exactly Lucy was suddenly spending all her time with Loke._

Natsu continued to simmer in his frustration while frowning deeply. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, trying to slow his heart-rate so that he could calm down and go to sleep. Happy snoring in the corner of his tent didn't help. He tried to concentrate on his breathing and tired to purge all thoughts from his mind.

But every time it seemed like his mind was calm, thoughts would creep up again causing his mind to race. This went on for awhile until he got so frustrated he sat up in his bed.

He leaned forward and placed his head in his hands.

 _Damn it, you promised yourself Natsu… you promised you'd never get this way again! Not after you lost Lisanna…_

Natsu sighed, dropping his hands. He shook his head remembering the promise he'd made himself seven years ago.

"Huh… so it's been that long already…"

He thought about what had happened. How she'd left on a mission and how he should have gone with her and her siblings to back them up and didn't.

It was his fault. His half-hearted decisions and feelings weren't enough to reach her or convince him to follow after her.

Natsu slapped his face forcing himself to concentrate at what needed to happen now.

"I need to talk to Lucy before tomorrow if I'm going to concentrate at the war meetings; it's still a decent hour… I'll go now."

Natsu stood up in a determined manner, barging from his tent. He was in such haste that he did not bother to dress himself on the way out, regardless of how cold it was outside.

* * *

Lucy was sleeping soundly within her tent when she was suddenly woken up by the whispers of a man outside.

"Lucy! You awake?" said a hushed cry through the curtain of her tent.

Lucy wasn't entirely cohesive, so she really wasn't in her right frame of mind to make good decisions. Lucy sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the heel of her palm.

 _Who could possibly be at my door at this hour?_

She thought angrily as she scratched at her head, causing her hair to get disheveled.

"Who is it?" she managed to whisper back, eyes still closed as she tried to fumble around for a flashlight.

"It's Natsu, Can I come in?"

Lucy's suddenly pried her eyes open as her mind tried to keep up.

 _Didn't I just say goodbye to him earlier? Why is he back here?_

"Uh, sure that's fine." She said unable to think rationally while rubbing at her eyes, finally giving up the search for the flashlight.

Lucy was still half asleep when Natsu came through the curtain, so she wasn't really processing what was happening.

All she was really aware of was that Natsu was in her tent… for some reason.

"So…uh Lucy? Are you sure now is a good time? I could come back… later…"

"Huh?" she replied sleepily finally coming to her senses.

Lucy looked up to see Natsu standing before her red in the face and averting his eyes. Lucy then looked down to see that she was sleeping in nothing in a red lacy bra and panties. She was sitting up in her sleeping bag revealing the top half of her body.

 _Damn you Levy!_

She cursed silently.

"Ah! Sorry!" she said grabbing a nearby blanket to cover herself up in front of her captain.

"Like I said before, I don't have any decent sleeping attire…"

Natsu raised a hand in protest.

"Don't worry about it; I'm sorry for bothering late in the evening. I should have been more aware that something like this could have happened."

He said taking a seat on the floor in front of her.

Lucy looked up at her captain seeing that he was merely dressed in a pair of loose white cotton shorts that ended just below his knees where they narrowed and cinched together, creating a balloon effect.

"Uhhh, Natsu? I know my attire leaves a lot to be desired but…. why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

Lucy watched confused as Natsu discovered the state of his own dress.

"Oh crap, I guess I was so worried that I rushed over without realizing I was half-naked. Gray's bad habits must be rubbing off on me if I'm leaving like this from my tent completely unaware. I'm sorry… I'll go now… you should go back to sleep."

Natsu made a move to stand when Lucy grabbed a hold of his arm to prevent him from doing so.

"You came all the way here in the middle of the night to say something to me; I suppose I can overlook the state in which we are addressing each other on this one occasion."

She smiled grabbing a blanket form beside her and handing it to him.

Natsu took it from her smiling awkwardly and draped it over his shoulders.

"Nice, thanks Lucy. Also, it's not all that late. You must have just been tired and conked out early."

He said teasingly.

"Oh… really? I guess I'm just not that aware, sorry."

Natsu laughed it off.

"Here, let me give us a bit of light."

Natsu lifted his hand upward and let a small fame ignite like a candle in the center of his palm. The light lifted slightly and hung between the like a lightning bug, allowing for them to see the scenery around them better.

Lucy loved watching his magic; it looked like life force and made her feel calm and safe. She smiled slightly at her captain who gave her a sheepish look in return.

"Um, yeah I did come here with something I feel I've needed to talk to you about."

Lucy broke her gaze at the small light he had created, to give Natsu her undivided attention.

"Yeah, okay… so what's up?"

She asked not sure how to start the conversation.

 _What does he want to talk about? Could he have found out about our plan to escape?!_

Natsu shifted closer to Lucy as he gripped the hem of the blanket.

"I was kind of curious about the rules of celestial spirits and their companions…"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why? Natsu, the nature of my contract with my spirits is none of your business…"

The captain gripped the blanket tighter around him and glared at the ground.

"Yeah… I know I was just hoping you'd tell me."

Lucy narrowed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"You're up to something… what is it?

Natsu was obviously offended.

"Your highness! To insinuate that I, Natsu Dragneel would be up to something…"

Lucy continued to glare…

"Is this about Loke again?"

Natsu merely folded his arms and wouldn't look Lucy in the eye.

She rolled her eyes.

"This obviously seems to weigh heavily on your mind so I guess I can tell you…"

Natsu looked up in surprise at Lucy.

"I'll skip over the terms of our contract since I know that's not what you're interested in and just get to the point. I guess… there's no real simple answer. Loke has served my family for generations; he's just like family to me. I didn't really know him well at first especially before I was able to retrieve my keys. He couldn't always be there for me growing up because of my father's ridiculous rules, but that didn't stop him. He was the one who told me how and where to retrieve my mother's keys, seeing as my father wouldn't even let me have them. I had to steal from him and make the contracts on the road to Magnolia just before I met you. But Loke was different; he crossed over using his own power to watch over me like a guardian angel…"

Lucy smiled gently.

"Being around him, he reminds me of the stories of my mother and he makes me feel safe. If it weren't for him, I never would have made it here in the first place."

Natsu smiled and closed his eyes.

"Our contract is private, but there are rules to contracting celestial spirits…"

"I believe I can answer any questions you have Natsu…"

Lucy and Natsu turned around to see where the voice was coming form, only to see Loke standing at the entrance of the tent, hands at his hips with a smirk on his face.

Lucy looked at him in surprise.

"Oh, Loke… are you sure?"

She asked him gently.

Loke pushed his glasses further up his nose with his index finger.

"Yes. I believe you should listen to this as well Lucy, and as for that kiss… Which I'm sure was the underlying reason for your question Natsu… I'll have you know it was a mere peck on the cheek."

Loke peered over at Natsu with a snarky grin from the side.

Natsu glared back at him, refusing to make any other kind of reaction.

"Kiss? What kiss are you talking about?"

Lucy asked him with a panicked look.

"I must apologize to you my lady. I took advantage of you cute sleeping face while we were on the beach and allowed myself a moment of selfishness when I kissed your cheek."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh… I see… well then, thank you for telling me Loke."

She said, Unsure of how she should respond.

"Tch!" Natsu clicked his tongue in disgust and folded his arms.

"You should be way more mad or something Lucy!"

Lucy opened her mouth to calm Natsu when she was once again cut off by Loke.

"As I was saying…. As far as our relationship goes we are merely master and spirit, but we're also old friends. In regards to the rules of celestial spirits…. well, therein lies a plethora of insanity that we will merely dip our toes into."

Loke took a seat next to Natsu on the floor.

"All celestial spirits are cursed beings, not unlike the demons from Zerif's book."

"Zerif? Who's that?"

Lucy asked tilting her head slightly.

"Oh, sorry… I think people in Fiore now refer to him as the black wizard."

"I've heard of him during many of my travels…"

Natsu started to explain, facing Lucy.

"Apparently he concocted experiments on people and spirits with ancient magic and science to create new beings that he sealed in a book that he named the book of Zerif… really nasty guy if you ask me."

Loke raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Very good, seems like the title Captain that you hold isn't just that."

Loke said in a rather demeaning manner.

Natsu stared in front of him, refusing to acknowledge Lokes existence.

"We are extremely similar in creation. We all started off as human or animals but through one way or another our existences were so bastardized that we could no longer classify ourselves as human or otherwise."

Natsu and Lucy were listening with intent on every word he was saying.

"There are many ways this could happen to somebody; however I'm only aware of one particular way. Most importantly, no matter how it happens there is a price that has to be given willingly… and that price becomes your curse or weakness. In return, you gain immortality but you are only given it conditionally. Usually, you have to serve a master of some sort in addition to your curse. The demons serve Zerif, and celestial spirits serve wizards. Although, there is one major difference between the celestial spirits and the demons… demons immortality is in itself conditional. They are only immortal as long as they _remain_ in the book of Zerif and only if the book remains _intact_ as well. Once they leave, or the book is destroyed they are subject to mortality. In the case of celestial spirits we are not bound by those rules… we remain immortal forever. "

"But why is that?"

Natsu asked.

Loke shrugged and sighed.

"I'm not entirely sure… but my best guess over the years is that we spirits make deals with immortals, which have been blessed as holy beings… whereas the demons make deals with unholy and forbidden magic. Even Zerif was created in this way when he was cursed to live forever, although in his case it was done against his will."

Natsu shook his head.

"Wait, what? What happened? You lost me at that last part."

Loke rolled his eyes but continued his explanation.

"People who experiment with souls and re-animation of the dead can't do so without consequence. To do so bastardizes the lives we cherish and brings no meaning to life. Why would one cherish life when they could merely bring themselves back? So in response to this 'The Powers That Be' can command the very darkest of magic to curse those who try to step into the place of creation."

Lucy nodded, trying to understand all that had been told to her.

"So all demons and immortals have times when they are vulnerable… except for celestial spirits?"

Loke nodded.

"As far as I'm aware, I mean I've been destroyed many times and all that happens to me is that I re-appear on the other side in the celestial realm."

Natsu continued to frown and look puzzled.

"I don't think I get it…"

"He's basically saying the dark spirits of the earth cursed Zerif to live forever and that even though they can't die through normal means… they can still be killed."

Lucy tried to explain.

"Oh, why didn't you just say that?"

Natsu groaned to Loke.

Loke ignored the captain and stopped for a moment, shrugged his shoulders and stood up.

"Well, I hope that answers your questions you have Natsu. As for Lucy, I hope you learned a little something tonight."

"Wait, What? That's it?"

Lucy whined.

Loke laughed and walked to the curtain.

"It's what you need to know; even we have secrets Lucy, as for your guest… I hope you have the sense to send him back to his tent quickly… I just found out that we'll have to be going early in the morning. Our activities have had to move forward… It will be the only time we'll be able to get moving."

Loke said looking over at Lucy hoping that she would understand.

Lucy looked at him seriously and nodded, confirming she understood his meaning, while Natsu just sat there trying to understand what Loke had just finished telling them.

Loke sighed at Natsu, waving a hand dismissively and walked out of the tent leaving the two of them alone.

Lucy tightened her grip on her blanket worried that Natsu might have picked up on what they were saying about their escape having to be moved forward to the morning.

As she observed him pondering the thoughts that Loke had left with them, her worry started to dissipate. He was obviously not paying attention to anything in this spectrum of existence….

"… Captain? You still with me here?"

Natsu opened his eyes and looked at Lucy, reminded that he was in her company.

"Oh! My apologies, I can get fairly distracted when it comes to new information. Anywho… I suppose I should head out of here and let you get your sleep for the night, considering how late it is now…"

He said to her while standing up to leave the tent.

"Oh..."

Lucy replied.

"I figured since it's so late you could just crash here? I mean it's not like we're unaccustomed to sleeping in the same quarters…"

Natsu turned to face her and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? It's one thing sharing a room in a cramped ship… but sharing a tent when I have my own… rumors may start princess."

Lucy rolled her eyes and laid back down, facing her back to Natsu in an attempt to go back to ignore him.

"Suit yourself… I figured I'd offer since it's freezing outside at night. These stupid mountains make the weather her almost unbearable. It's hot as sin during the day and at night it gets to freezing temperatures. But make your own decision… it's not like I'm forcing you."

Lucy closed her eyes and waited patiently for the sound her tents' curtain to open… but it never did. Instead she felt Natsu lie down next to her and press his back to hers.

Lucy's heart started to race and her face immediately went scarlet. Suddenly she was very thankful that he couldn't see her.

 _What's he doing sleeping next to me? He could have slept on the other side! What is this feeling I have? My chest feels heavy and my stomach is in knots!_

Lucy was focused on the place where her back met his, it was so warm… It was nice. His body heat spread form the spot of contact and was making its way throughout her body. She found herself wondering if the magic abilities that he had raised his body temperature. He told her that they enhanced his physical abilities… so would it be a stretch to say that they made his body run at a higher temperature?

 _Maybe all men have warmer bodies?_

"Uh… Natsu?"

"Shhhh, I'm trying to sleep highness. It's late."

Lucy waited a minute before she rolled over to face his back.

"Sorry, I guess I wasn't really expecting you to take me up on that offer…"

Natsu grunted and laughed.

"Guess I'm not getting much sleep tonight either… Sorry to disappoint, I can still leave if you want."

He said rolling over to face her.

Lucy pulled the blanket up over her nose so that he couldn't see her while she shook her head.

"No, I'd prefer you were here… truth be told… this whole situation is kind of scaring me.

Natsu frowned at her, while shifting to get comfortable.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Lucy looked at him for a moment to calm herself down…

"War… between my country… my family and Alvarez. I feel like I'm being put smack in the middle of it with no way out, and that I'm dragging all of you down with me. I'm not sure I have the courage to see it through to the end."

Natsu frowned more deeply, concern filling his eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

Lucy closed her eyes and pulled her blanket back down to her neck.

"I mean… I'm terrified. I just want to run, but I know I can't… somebody is going to have to pay for my fathers' crimes after all this is finished. Countries at war don't exactly let the opposing royal family survive… and if they're tyrants like my father… their own countries don't let them survive either. Even if I marry the Emperor…"

Lucy was fighting back her tears only to choke on her words.

Natsu placed a hand over her mouth to stop her from speaking.

"Don't. Just don't. Don't EVER say anything like that ever again."

Natsu slowly removed his hand from her mouth and placed it gently on her face, using his thumb to wipe away her tears.

"I'll never allow anybody to hurt anyone in fairy tail."

Lucy looked up at him in despair.

"Am I though? I don't have a guild mark like the rest. I don't do anything for the guild to bring in money or protection or food!"

"Of course you are!"

Natsu said sternly.

"And if it's a guild mark that's upsetting you… here give me your hand Lucy."

Lucy looked at him, confused but placed her hand in his outstretched one regardless.

Natsu smiled and closed his eyes as he brought her hand to his lips.

The warmth Lucy felt before was radiating from where his lips touched. When they lifted from her hand, a small figure like the one on Natsus' arm appeared on the back of her palm.

It was pretty, small and pink… it suited her.

Lucy smiled at the mark.

"With this you're officially a member of our guild."

"But why? Wont the master get upset that you did this without his permission?"

Natsu shrugged.

"Our guild marks are special Lucy; many people are honorary members of our guild and have all the privileges as such but will never get a mark."

"What?"

"The magic of the guild marks comes form our first master. She's a spirit and she protects the Island we live on, which is why only guild members can find it. But with the guild mark comes a condition… We can't give them out like others do. Only members can, and they can only do it once.

"You mean a marked member can only give out one guild mark?"

"Yes."

He stated plainly.

Lucy swallowed, processing the implications.

"So… I'm the only person you'll ever be able to give a guild mark to?"

"Yes."

"Natsu… why…"

He gave her a corny grin.

"Do I need a reason? The reason is plain enough to me… I care about you. A lot."

Lucy's face twisted with emotion, while Natsu pulled her close to him in his arms.

"Lucy… its okay."

Lucy let her emotions out into Natsus bare chest. Her frustration of having to run away from her friends, the loss of Gray and then finding him again just to have him break her heart with the truth about their history and then getting engaged… or married. Most recently… her feelings about Natsu, she knew was that leaving his side was one of the hardest things for her to do right now. He made her feel safe, protected… and all she'd been doing lately was pushing him away. It was killing her. And here he was basically accepting him into his family… the only person he'd ever be able to do something like that for.

"Natsu, I'm so sorry… so sorry for pushing you away lately."

Natsu gently hushed her and stroked her hair.

"It's ok Lucy… I was worried about you, but I'm glad you trust me enough to open up to me."

Lucy felt guilt pit in her stomach at his words.

But at the same time she felt a strange draw to him like he was the only person in the world that mattered to her. It didn't matter if she never saw her family, it didn't matter that Gray abandoned her. It didn't matter that Silver betrayed her and tried to kill her.

All that mattered was Natsu.

That he survived this war.

She finally realized the real reason she was leaving to protect the guild…

It wasn't for them.

It was for him, it was all for him.

 _I Love him… I am in love with Natsu…_

It was at this realization that she looked up at her captain.

She was sure of it.

The almost magnetic pull she had towards him. The desire to stay by his side.

"Natsu?"

"Mmmmm?" he said, releasing his grip on her so he could look him in the eyes.

"What if… what if I told you…"

Natsu smiled and looked at her blushing face as she buried it back into his chest.

"It's alright Lucy just go to sleep, we have all the time we need to talk later."

Lucy exhaled deeply as she relaxed in Natus strong arms.

 _What if we don't… should I even bother telling him? I_ am _leaving to marry another man._

 _Another man…_

It was hard to imagine that this time next month she'd be in the same situation… only with the Emperor.

She clenched her jaw tight.

"Mmm? What's wrong highness?"

 _Crap, he noticed_

"Nothing, just this will be a first for me… falling asleep in a half-naked mans arms."

Natsu laughed out right.

"It'll be a first for me as well."

Lucy raised herself slightly so that she could look Natsu in the eyes better.

"Wait, what? First time?"

Lucy asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, is it that suppressing?"

He said cocking his head slightly, allowing his pink locks to caress his forehead.

"Honestly? Yes. As a pirate and a captain at that… I figured you'd have plenty of… well opportunity. I mean... I've heard stories."

"Of course I've had opportunity; I'm just not the kind of guy who takes advantage of women. Especially those I have no intention of making a lasting relationship with. Besides, I hope you don't lump us in with your average degenerate pirate Lucy."

"Of course I don't! I'm just surprised, is all..."

Lucy laid back down and got comfortable again, pouting slightly.

"Speaking of... have you… have you ever been in a relationship before?"

She asked wryly.

Natsu grinned at her playfully, almost in a teasing way.

"Hmm, that's a long story. The short of it is no… but I have been in love before. It didn't end well."

"Oh? Why, what happened?"

Natsu shook his head and frowned.

"Heh, she was lost at sea, during a mission. Nothing could have prevented it… Let's talk about something else… I don't think its common courtesy to speak of past loves while holding a woman in your arms."

"Ah! Sorry! Just… One more question?"

Natsu rolled onto his back and laughed, still keeping a firm hold on Lucy.

"Me thinks you have some not-so-honorable intentions highness… but sure."

Lucy fumbled a bit before asking the question.

"Do you still love her?"

Natsu scratched at his cheek with his finger and closed his eyes.

"That's an even harder question. She's dead, I mean can one even be devoted to someone who's passed on? I'm not so sure… But it's not like those feelings just vanish either. All I know is that I vowed never to love anybody ever again… at least not like that."

Lucy's stomach went cold.

 _Was this girl that great that he'd never love anybody else? Or was the loss that traumatic?_

"Oh… really? So, you'll never love someone like that again?"

"No, I won't. I can't."

He said in a very matter-of-fact tone.

It was hard for her to hear him say that while she was being held in his arms. Tears started to sting again at the corner of her eyes. All she wanted now was for him to leave… to be alone. Until she felt the sensation of him cupping her face with his hand, drawing her gaze back to his eyes.

"Lucy, I will never love like that again. A half-cooked sad excuse for love that wasn't strong enough to make decisions that could have protected someone. A love that just let somebody walk out of their life and left them for dead, but I think... I've found something on an entirely different level."

 _What? What is he saying?_

"I will never let anything like that happen again. Not to the woman I love, because I do indeed love her."

Lucy stammered.

"A..aaare you ttttalking."

"You Lucy, I'm talking about you... I love you."

Lucy was too stunned; she just kept staring at Natsu, her breath caught in her chest. He was looking at her with the most passionate eyes she'd ever seen. Fire, determination, fear, love, these were all being reflected in his gaze. It's like this moment had frozen and was allowing her bask in it.

She couldn't help it, she was so happy, but she was also in pain from knowing that this could never come to pass...

Lucy closed her eyes to prevent more tears from escaping them, to no avail.

She pounded her fists on his chest.

"You idiot! Why'd you have to go and say those things? I was barely hanging on there and then you… YOU IDIOT!"

Lucy buried her face into his chest again, still crying.

"I love you too, you ignoramus."

Natsu brought her face up again and gave her his signature grin.

"I'm so relieved; I was really worried I just destroyed our friendship."

He laughed, bringing her face to his, pressing his forehead against hers.

Lucy could feel his hot breath against her skin and the atmosphere was changing drastically to the confession of their mutual feelings.

All of a sudden they became very aware of the fact that they were essentially in their underwear and Lucy could feel sweat forming at the nape of her neck. Blood started pumping and breathing was getting more and more ragged.

"Lucy… if we continue…"

She placed her now marked hand against his chest.

"I know."

"… Do you want me to leave?"

Lucy shook her head, and Natsu sighed.

"… Then it looks like we've reached an impasse."

"No, please. Please stay."

Lucy could feel Natsu's forehead frown against hers.

"I've said before, even I have my limits Lucy. I'm just a man after all."

Lucy thought for a minute… playing out every situation that could possibly happen. She was leaving in the morning to marry the Emperor. Whom she knew would treat her like... well she didn't want to think about it, just once. She wanted to be with someone she loved… and who loved her back.

"Natsu… It's alright."

She managed to say, embarrassment evident in her tone.

The captain's body froze and gently, ever so slowly he sat up and pulled her away from him.

"No Lucy, I'm going back to my tent."

He said breathlessly as he stood up and dropped his blanket, leaving Lucy sitting there.

"But, Natsu! I said its okay!"

He sighed and looked down at her with a smile.

"Lucy, if I did… I'd no longer be able to pride myself as a gentleman. And besides, don't you think we should probably go on a proper date first?"

He said kneeling back down and laughing.

Lucy sat there somehow feeling jilted yet again…

"…Is it because I'm a princess? You're afraid to touch me?"

Natsu chuckled at that.

"No, it's because you're you Lucy. It's because I love you and respect you too much to rush into this."

He pulled the blanket up around Lucy too keep her warm from the cold trying to get in.

"I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning; I'll come get you for breakfast… how's that?"

Lucy nodded and put on a fake smile, knowing that it would never happen. She let it go though, since she knew he was just trying to make her happy.

"Good girl, see you then."

Natsu cupped her cheek and leaned in to kiss her gently.

It was soft, gentle and free of passion, but it was enough.

Lucy could feel his bangs against her forehead, caressing her.

When he pulled away, Lucy couldn't help but feel like she was betraying him.

"Goodnight Natsu… here take this, it's cold out there."

She said handing him the blanket he was wearing before.

He Laughed.

"No, I think a cold walk home will do me some good. Goodnight princess."

Lucy sat and listened to his footsteps walk away until she couldn't anymore. She fell onto her pillow still hot from Natsu's touch, and began to cry.

 _Goodbye Natsu… for sure this time._


	17. Chapter 17

Ok guys, These last couple of months have been really hard for me to suffer through. T_T I'm surprised I'm still alive honestly. My husband was fired, found a job and fired again... we had to move back in with family... it's just been crazy. I'm still planning on doing the story though, I just don't have anywhere near as much free-time as before. SO the updates will probably come monthly.

Again, please forgive me.

ALSO PLEASE REVIEW!

Chapter 17

Lucy must have been over half days away before she heard the echoes of fury that erupted over the pirates' cove. She and her companions had been hiking through winding mountain paths, when she turned to see flames erupting over the pirates' cove. The leader of the men who was with her was Laxus. The other two he called Sting and Rouge from the Saber-tooth guild. Lucy had a sinking feeling that they seemed to be tagging along under threat of death from Laxus… Based on their behavior, they weren't there by their own volition. They were shifty, agitated and overall on edge. However, they were at least kind to her… even if it did feel forced. Laxus turned to face the direction of the blast.

"Sounds like that hot- head found out that you're gone."

Laxus sneered.

"We best get moving… I can't guarantee that he'll be the kind of guy who follows orders and stays put with the guild."

Laxus grunted, then turned back around and continued down the path that he'd been leading us on. Lucy turned her attention back onto the trail, following closely behind Laxus.

 _Sorry Natsu…_

She thought to herself as she gritted back her feelings. The night she had with Natsu wasn't that long ago, but now it felt so far away that it was almost… intangible. No, it was more like Natsu was intangible.

She hated the fact that she had fallen for him. That she had to betray him; that they could never be, that she was forced into an engagement to another man…

She felt sick with guilt as she looked at her new guild mark on her hand. Natsu had so delicately placed it on there, and with it he'd given her his feelings. Lucy clutched at her chest as she felt her heart ache.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sting and Rouge share confused looks at each other; but let it slide out of concern for Lucy. They then turned their attention toward her as if looking to her for some sort of explanation.

Lucy sighed and closed her eyes.

"It's complicated."

She then continued to follow Laxus with Sting and Rouge following close behind her.

It was cold in the mountains but the sun and movement that they were making kept Lucy warm. The scenery was really rather beautiful. Mountain streams and foliage were spectacular to look at. Pine trees stretched like the Castile pillars high above her. Laxus had told her to keep close because there were a lot of magical creatures that lived in these woods and it wasn't uncommon to become lost. Lucy hadn't seen any though… the most wild life that she'd seen was a couple of deer and some foxes. Fall was almost in full swing so it wasn't strange to only see a few animals. Most were probably getting ready for the winter.

"Hey Lucy?"

The voice came from behind her; she turned to see Sting addressing her. Sting and Rouge were obviously good friends, but they couldn't look more different. Sting had short blonde hair and a scar over his right eye. His eyes were dark blue and had an earring in his left ear. Rouge had black short hair and pale skin. His eyes were red and he was the less talkative of the two. Lucy liked both of them; they reminded her of Natsu and Gray a lot.

"Yeah?"

She answered.

"I know we have to get you to the Royal City as soon as possible… but we weren't really filled in on the reason for taking you there. I think now is as good a time as any… do you think you can give us the reason we're here?"

Laxus let out a grunt and continued to walk forward, leading the way.

Sting glared at the man in front of her.

"I wasn't asking you, guy! Keep walking!"

Sting shouted furiously, shaking his fist.

Lucy laughed lightly at the antics of Sting.

 _He's pretty funny._

Rouge sighed and rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Sorry about his rude behavior… but I can't help but share the same sentiments."

He smiled gently at her.

"Would you mind?"

Laxus gave out another grunt and turned slightly to look at the two men behind him.

"It's not necessary information for you to know, and it's obviously very personal to her. Stop harassing to poor girl."

Laxus shrugged and huffed forward in his usual manner.

Lucy smiled sadly at Laxus' awkward attempt to protect her feelings.

Sting and Rouge slumped their posture and looked away from Lucy, obviously ashamed of their behavior.

"Don't worry about it Laxus, its okay."

Lucy smiled half heartedly and continued to walk.

"I suppose you'll find out sooner or later, and it will probably benefit you to know. But I'm surprised that Laxus didn't tell you beforehand."

Laxus chuckled slightly.

"It's more fun to watch them squirm."

"That's it you ass! Just because we owed you doesn't mean you get to mess with us like this!"

Sting shouted again at Laxus.

Laxus seemed to just ignore him and continued to chuckle as he moved further down the path.

Lucy frowned.

"You guys are here because you owed him?"

Rouge pinched his nose.

"It's a long story… the short version is that we were in way over our heads and Laxus saved our skins. Instead of letting us repay him… he just said we owed him a favor and that one day he'd come to collect. As you can see, he's done just that."

Lucy pursed her lips.

"…I'm sorry you were dragged into this."

Rouge waved her off.

"Don't worry about it; this is no different than any other mission. Besides… it'll be nice getting out of that guys debt."

He said nodding in Laxus' direction.

Lucy couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah, I'll bet."

Behind them Sting clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Enough pleasantries; get to the part where you tell us why we're here."

Rouge shook his head and mouthed ' _sorry'_ to Lucy.

She shrugged it off and started to explain.

"It's kind of hard to explain. The long and short of it I guess is that I'm the Princess from the Fiore kingdom that the Alvarez Empire is looking for. The Emperors betrothed so to speak, so I'm going back to Cocoros to be claimed by the Emperor…. hopefully that will sedate his temper and the war…"

Lucy allowed some time for the information to sink in, and was about to continue her explanation when Sting interrupted her.

"That's bull."

Lucy stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Excuse me?"

Sting put his hands behind his head and frowned deeply.

"I'm not saying I believe you about the princess thing, but even if you are I don't see how surrendering yourself to the Emperor will help the situation."

Lucy frowned at him.

"What do you mean? This whole war started because of my disappearance."

Sting looked away from her and into the forest.

"Mmmm. I wonder."

He said rolling his eyes.

Lucy looked over at Rouge who seemed to be processing what she was telling him.

"Sting, it's not our place to interfere. We're here on a job to repay a debt… just try to think of it like that. Who are we to question the princesses' decisions?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at Rouge.

"You mean you believe me? That I'm the princess?"

Rouge smiled remorsefully.

"I don't see any other reason why you'd go this far to get to the Royal City during political strife like this. Considering the position guild members are in during times like these. Even so, I had my suspicions before we left. Still, I was shocked to find out that we had a princess in our midst in the first place."

Lucy gave him a regretful smile.

"Unfortunately, this is part of the penance that I must do for the horrible things my father has done to his people."

Sting clicked his tongue,

"Whatever…go ahead and play the part of the martyr if you must."

He said dismissively, waving her off.

Lucy shook her head and turned away from the two.

 _They don't understand… It's best if I just drop this conversation._

Lucy looked at the back of Laxus and decided she would focus on him, rather than listen to the annoyed words of Sting.

* * *

Natsu was fumbling furiously with the chains on his wrist that they'd been strapped in. His wrists and ankles were cuffed and chained to the cold, wet cave wall behind him that he was using to lean on.

He couldn't believe he'd been thrown in prison by his own guild.

APPARENTLY setting fire to the camp while frantically looking for Lucy wasn't what the guild masters called 'An appropriate way of searching for lost companions.'

It was Erza who finally managed to knock Natsu out.

Natsu lifted his hand, causing the chains to rattle, and rubbed the back of his head where she had hit him.

 _That woman is still the most terrifying threat to sail this side of Earthland…_

He looked around at his surroundings. The prison on the pirates cove wasn't terrible, but it was cold, good thing he had fire magic to keep himself warm. Members from the guild were in regularly to check on him and he was told he'd be let out in the morning as long as he behaved…

 _Yeah, okay…_

He thought with distain.

 _If they think I'm not going to run off as soon as I get out of here, they're in for a rude awakening._

He winced a little at the pain he felt from the lump on his head, when he heard a small voice coming from the other side of the cave. Natsu adjusted slightly and faced the opening of the cave.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you!"

Natsu shouted towards the voice.

"I said, 'are you still alive in here?'"

Natsu squinted and could finally make out the silhouette of Levy and what looked like Gajeel walking towards him.

Levy gave out a hearty laugh.

"Hey there Cap'in, looking real fine all tied up like that. If I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to seduce me."

She said with a cocky smile, hand on her hips and standing over him.

Natsu grinned mischievously,

"If you can get me out of here, I might see what I can do for you."

Levy threw her head back and laughed some more at the man in front of her.

"No offence captain, but you're not exactly my type…"

Natsu shrugged as he watched Gajeel give her the biggest eye roll he'd thought humanly possible.

"You two cut the crap; I'm the one doing all the work here."

Gajeel grumbled as he ripped the chains apart like they were made of paper.

Levy huffed,

"Anyway, were here to bust you out obviously, but the other reason we're doing this is because we want in on looking for Lucy. She's our friend too and we want to find her just as badly as you do…. well that last part might not be entirely accurate."

Gajeel had finished breaking the cuffs around Natsus' ankles and wrists, and Natsu turned to face her with a deep frown.

"The guild needs you here, we're about to go to war soon… I can't take you two off the battlefield to help me with my selfish ambitions…"

Gajeel grunted in disgust,

"This war is a damn joke, and you know it."

Natsu rubbed his wrists where his chains had held him just seconds ago and stood up.

"I'd argue with you if I thought there was nay sense in doing so… whatever, if we're going to escape sooner would be better than later."

Natsu winced as he stretched his muscles.

Gajeel folded his arms,

"What do you think this is Cap'n? My first day? I got everything ready to go; we even have our starting point for tracking the young miss. So… are you coming or not?"

Natsu grabbed Gajeel by the shoulder, and flashed his wide crooked smile.

"What would I do without you two?"

Gajeel gave him a hard slap on the back.

"I don't think we'd care to find out. But the obvious answer would be that you'd be dead a hundred times over. So let's get going, our young miss is already a day or more ahead of us."

Gajeel smirked as he nodded to the mountain pass that lead out of the pirates' cove.

Natsu frowned,

"I think your number is a little exaggerated there… Besides that, how'd she find that passage? It's only supposed to be known by those we show it to… and I never did."

Gajeel looked over at Levy for help.

Levy sighed,

"It looks like she had some help getting out of here; we found four sets of footprints leading into the mountains.

Natsu glared at her, his mind mulling over the possible offenders.

"Do we know who they are?"

Levy shrugged and dropped her arms to her side.

"There are people missing… but we don't have any definitive proof."

Natsu cracked his knuckles and neck.

"I guess we'll have to go find them… by the way, who is in on this little escape plan of ours?"

Levy smiled and wrapped her arm around Gajeels waist.

"Just us! We figured a small group would be better off than a bunch of us all traveling together."

Gajeel gave a throaty chuckle,

"Yeah we're not the most delicate or quiet guild out there."

Natsu smiled with pride.

"That's my guild for you, anyway let's move."

"Aye sir!" They chorused as they helped their captain out of the cave.

* * *

Lucy and her party were less than a half days away from the Royal City, apparently the pirates'

Cove wasn't all that far away from it to begin with. They had been able to follow the river north most of the way there. It made for fairly easy traveling. At the very least, it was a lot easier than running from the palace to Magnolia…

During the time of their travel together, Lucy found herself becoming very fond of both Sting and Rouge. Sting finally loosened up, and while he still disagreed with her decision… he still protected her. They had become like the older brothers she always wanted. They slowed down to match her pace. They worried about her, and they always made sure that the area was safe whenever they had to make camp. It would be hard to leave them as well when the time came… which was soon.

They had already taken her as far as Laxus was willing to go, the rest would be up to Lucy… They had agreed to wait with Lucy until night fall, and then she would have to find her way into the city and figure out her own plan from there.

Lucy made herself comfortable leaning against a tree, watching as the sun gently touched the top of the mountains. Lucy closed her eyes; If she stepped forward tonight… there would be no going back.

 _Is this really okay?_

 _Am I doing the right thing?_

 _Will this actually help anything?_

 _If it does… will it be worth it? Or is this all for naught?_

Lucy's mind continued to race as she began to second guess everything she was doing. Lucy's eyes fell to the guild mark on her left hand.

 _Natsu… What am I doing?_

… _I wish you were here._

 _But I've chosen a life where we can never meet again._

 _I just hope you're not stupid enough to try to follow me, if you do… the Emperor will surely kill you._

Lucy sighed and looked up at the sky, the red of the sunset scorching the sky.

She smiled.

"What should I do Natsu?"

"Mmm? You say something?"

Lucy turned to see sting walking up to her.

"Ah… sorry, it's nothing."

"….alright… if you say so. You ready?"

Lucy stood up from leaning on the tree and patted the seat of her pants.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Sting ruffled her blond hair with his large hand, as he gave her a sorrowful glance.

"You can still back out."

Lucy looked down at her feet and choked back her tears.

"No, I can't."

Lucy felt sting embrace her and kiss her gently on her head.

"I know I'm not Natsu… But at least let me hold you in his place… princess."

Lucy continued to sob silently into Stings chest while he held her tightly, comforting her.

The minutes seemed to pass by and soon it was almost dark.

Sting pulled away slightly and lifted Lucys' face.

"Lucy… If you're going to do this, I need to tell you some things you need to hear."

Lucy's face looked puzzled for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

Sting sighed as he took a step back so he could comfortably talk to her.

"Please don't take anything I'm about to say as criticism or that I think poorly of you, in fact it's the opposite."

Lucy frowned, but nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

Sting looked at her squarely in the eyes,

"Don't do this half-assed."

Lucy stepped back in shock.

"Again… what do you mean?"

"I mean, if you're going to do this. Do it, don't be some were stuck between Fairy Tail and Alvarez. I know it's harsh but you're going to have to forget Fairy Tail and submit yourself to a life at the Emperors Queen… if you're lucky. More realistically you'll be his concubine."

Lucy stared at Sting, unsure of what to say.

"I'm not saying you have to love the Emperor by any stretch of the imagination, but I am saying you have to let go of Natsu, and Fairy Tail. It will only cause you and the guild to pass through more sorrow than you can handle. It will destroy you."

Lucy opened her mouth to reply but now words would come out.

Sting waited for Lucy to process before continuing.

"Lucy, if you don't want to do this I'll back your play… I'll take you back to the pirates' cove and fight Alvarez tooth and nail right beside you and the rest of the guilds and Fiore. However, you need to decide; all in or all out. No more tears, it's time to be strong."

Lucy downcast her eyes, no longer able to maintain eye-contact with Sting.

 _I don't understand… Why is he saying this now?_

"Lucy?"

Lucy turned away.

"So… you're saying to stop loving Natsu?"

She managed to whisper.

Sting dropped to his knees so that she could not refuse his strong gaze.

"Never, I would never say that. In fact, love him until your last day if you wish. But you must let go of the idea of him. If you do this, and marry the Emperor; he will never be your lover, nor will he be your husband. I just don't want you to have lingering pointless desires that make you miserable the rest of your life. Well… more miserable."

Lucy stared into his gaze and nodded.

 _He's right; I can't be luke-warm about this, time for me to grow up and take responsibility._

"You're right Sting… sometimes in order to do what's right; one has to give up the things they want the most."

Sting smiled sadly and nodded. He stood and held her once more.

"That's my girl."

Lucy pulled away from Sting and looked back at the silhouette of the Castle in the far distance.

"No turning back, right?"

Sting placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You ready?"

Lucy shook her head.

"That doesn't matter, I'm going."

Sting gave her a slight push foreword down her path laid in front of her.

"Don't worry about us, and don't look back."

"What no goodbye?" She asked still walking forward.

Sting grunted and folded his arms.

"Never been much good at those."

Lucy smiled to herself.

"Me neither."

If Sting replied, Lucy couldn't hear him. She just continued walking down the darkened path back to the Castle she had run away from only months ago, as she walked she felt her heart slowly let go of her dreams. They were dropped and left behind her with her tears.


End file.
